Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“’Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them.” (Mark 14b-16)
We talk a lot about having a child like faith, but what does that mean? A recent incident helps to illustrate the trust of children.
My family and I were visiting my dad (Doug) and my sister and family in Argenta where my dad lives. As I was preparing to go out to the back porch to fire up the grill for lunch, a little shaver about 8-9 years old, rides his bike up, gets off, and proceeds to the back door. I open the door and as he walks right in, he says, “Is Doug here?” You have to understand that my dad had just met this little guy the day before out in the yard. By the next day he was walking into the house like he was one of the grandchildren. He walks in and starts talking to us like he has known us his whole life.
It was stated to him that we were going to eat and he could come back later. He wanted to know when he was going to get to see the rest of the house! While eating, here he comes again to the back door where he walks in and wants to know why it is taking us so long. We invite him back once the dishes have been cleared. He returns and joins us in a game of croquet. His older brother eventually comes and gets him and the Lord provides another life lesson.
The trust of a child. He had only met my dad, the rest of us were complete strangers, but he talked to us like we were his best friends. I can’t describe in this transcription what a funny slice of life this scenario was.
We trust in our heavenly Father as His child. He knew us from the beginning of the world; we were never strangers to Him. He called us as His own in Baptism and keeps us in the true faith. As we move into adulthood we lose some of our innocence because what we have seen or experienced. This little fella reminded me of what complete trust looks like. The Lord wants us to have that – come right in, talk to Me like you know Me, because you do, and know that My door is always open. I am here for you because of My love and grace and mercy.
Now, how about a game of croquet?
In Christ,
Pastor