The Little Things: Children

SCRIPTURE:  But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16 ESV

THOUGHT: Our adult selves attempt to forget what it’s like to be a child. We leave behind the raw vulnerability of needing a parent to take care of you, of trusting someone deeply for love and sustenance and protection. We forget the freedom to be found in care-less-ness. Unencumbered by agendas, a child may enjoy hours of simply laying in the grass, looking up at clouds or stars – or examining ants or spiders’ webs with amazement. A child may spin and run and climb and jump in puddles all for the sheer joy it brings.

There are so many things that come with childhood that God desires us to bring to our relationship with him. We cannot afford to completely forget what it’s like to be small, for we will always be that compared to him. We forget our vulnerability and kill our trust at our own peril, for, with God, that vulnerability and trust are necessary; every hour of every day we must trust him to meet our daily needs for food, love, forgiveness, and protection – and those are the small things! Remembering the freedom and wide-eyed wonder of childhood is likewise incredibly important to our journey toward the kingdom of God, for without it we will stop exploring or asking or seeking or knocking.

It’s ironic that so many people find the notion of believing in God foolish, isn’t it? Children don’t because they are so much closer to the place of needing, and welcoming, a savior.

PRAYER: Oh God, help us today to remember what it’s like to be a child. Whether we had good earthly parents or not, we all have you now. Help us spin and run and climb and jump for joy, wrapped safely in your love for us.