Jesus said to his disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:12
Perhaps one of the most frustrating sentences a child hears from a grown-up is, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” I cannot speak for everyone, but I know I usually received that line with absolutely no grace. My child heart reasoned, that if I want to know now, I should have it explained now. It felt impossible to wait for something as important as knowledge. My adult heart does not take such news much better.
Of course, adults usually have a good reason to keep a child “in the dark.” The information may not be on a subject that a young person is ready to grasp or wrestle with, such as the intricacies of relationships or politics. Speaking in full now might place someone in an unfair light or give the child a negative impression that would unnecessarily damage the child’s relationships. The adult may very well not be in a position to clearly explain the circumstance or situation.
The hopefully wiser adult is not lying, but rather holding back details until the time the child is ready for them. Every child believes they are ready, but that is on the basis of wanting to know, not what is best. And good adults have to navigate such difficult waters and have the responsibility of discerning when the time is right and how to best deliver the information.
And some adults are better at holding off a child’s good curiosity than others. My parents usually could deliver the “I’ll tell you when you are older” line in such a way as to engender trust. And trust is difficult, but the key for any relationship, but especially our relationship to God.
As children, what we want to know is really about the facts and data that would satiate curiosity. But as T.S. Eliot wrote, “human kind cannot bear too much reality.” Our Heavenly Father does not want us to stop seeking, but to seek Him above all things. The human mind wants knowledge. God wants us to know Him. This is the work of the promised Holy Spirit.
We are always your children, O Father of wisdom and light. Help us to enter into the quiet of trust that we may know You and love You more deeply each moment. In Christ Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
