Learning From Our Children

Let the little children come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14 my paraphrase).

Children, what an indescribable blessing. Don’t you wonder what Jesus did when the children came to him, after the desciples mistakenly tried to hold them back?

Sure, they sat on his lap, but what else happened. I like to think He probably told them a story, or several stories. Did he lovingly pinch the rosy cheek of the little girl or playfully muss the hair of the little boy?

Wouldn’t you have liked to watch that scene?

I will always remember coming home from work (I was a custodian at a grade school) sitting down on the sofa and having my two little girls climb all over me. They were probably about two and three and a half.

The older one climbed up on my shoulders and the younger sat in my lap. I was so happy I began tearing up.

“I don’t want them to grow up,” I said. I just wanted to stay in that moment.

My pastor of 25 years once said, “If I’d known how good the grandkids were going to be, I would have had them first.”

Those two little girls grew up, a boy came along and now I have seven grandchildren. Recently during a visit, the six-year-old boy said to us, “Grammy was here and then she said she had to leave and I was sad, but she said that you were coming, so then I was happy again.”

That is a moment we will always cherish.

In our small congregation we have four small children under the age of seven. They are a lively bunch, to say the least.

Lorraine has started to have a story time for them before the message. The first time, I gave over the entire message time to her. The children sat in the aisle in front of her and she showed them some of the illustrations she has been working on for her children’s book. Then she read them the story.

They sat spellbound in the aisle, not moving for 20 minutes . . . and I noticed some of the grown-ups were tearing up.

What a blessing are the children!

The time of rearing children goes by so fast. Before you know it they are leaving home for college or to marry and establish their own home. The empty nest time was one of the most difficult times of my life.

My advice to you is “Enjoy your children while you have them and make them your first priority while you have them. Encourage them in their talents and passions. When they are small, read them stories, and encourage them to read books.”

Remember, a child’s personality is completely formed by the age of five, so those early years are so-o-o-o important.

And . . . learn from them.

Jesus said, “Unless you become as a little child you will in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3 my paraphrase.”

What does that mean?

A small child is dependent on the parents for everything. We must learn to depend on the father for everything.

It is said that the Apostle John was the closest to Jesus. At the last supper, John “leaned” on Jesus breast.

A child will believe anything you tell them.

When God tells us things in His Word, we should take Him at His Word and not doubt.

A good child obeys his parents. We should obey God, no matter what.

These are some of the things we can learn from our children.

There is a song I perform called “Come to Me.”

One of the lines says, “The faith of a child will bring you to Him, just take Him simply without a doubt.”