Having just returned from a visit with my cute-as-a-button four-year-old granddaughter Sophia, I am once again reminded of why Jesus said, “Let the children come to me…those who can’t receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it.” (Mark 10:13-16)
Jesus is telling us there is a lot we can learn from children. So much in fact that I’m convinced we should make an effort to be around or even play with little ones periodically or we forget what Jesus is talking about. Matthew 18: 2 goes so far as to say that unless we become as little children we won’t inherit the Kingdom.
Those of us blessed with children have a built in opportunity to see them in action. Unfortunately, when our children are young we’re usually so busy trying to feed, clothe, and provide for them that we can be too tired to appreciate what they have to offer. I managed to write down a few of the cute things my own children said but I must admit I was so pre-occupied with life that I missed a lot.
I do remember when Grandma (we called her Nana) Dahlgren died our daughter Sherisa was a preschooler. In the midst of our sadness she said, “Why is everyone so gloomy? Nana’s with Jesus, isn’t she?” Out of the mouths of babes and into our hearts – her words helped us see the bigger picture.
It reminds me of the Sunday School teacher who asked her students, “What do you need to do to get to heaven.” The intention was probably to have them focus on doing good deeds and living a moral life. However one little boy managed to cut through all of that and give the definitive answer. He said, “You have to die.”
Now that I have a little more time on my hands I find grandchildren an absolute delight. They don’t mind being transparent and uninhibited. They openly trust, love, laugh, cry, hope, sing, endure, dance, ponder and generally enjoy life to the fullest. Not only do they help adults keep perspective they share their perspective as well.
For example last Christmas when my husband adjusted Sophia’s chair so she could more easily enjoy Christmas dinner she declared in a loud voice, “You’re a genius, Grandpa!” Do you know how good it feels to have someone actually think you are genius? This has become quite a catch phrase at our house. When my husband or I do something note worthy we praise each other with, “You’re a genius!”
Sophia, like your grandchildren I’m sure, is so smart – and very literal. Here are some choice responses her mom shared with us in a recent email.
Babysitter: “What a nice toy; where did you get that?”
Sophia: “From the toy box” (with a ‘you idiot’ expression on her face).
Daddy: “Deal, let’s shake on it.”
Sophia pauses, thinks and then shakes her behind!
As she’s slowly climbing the stairs after a hard day of play: “We need a faster house.”
Surgery nurse when Sophia was to have tubes from her ears removed explaining she would need to breathe from a mask: “Can you breathe?”
Sophia: “Yes, and when I’m angry I do deep breaths.” (Yeah! She has been listening.)
Checking in for surgery, the nurse asked Sophia: “You are so cute. How did you get to be so cute?”
Not missing a beat, Sophia said: “Well, Daddy planted a seed in Mommy…” (She didn’t get to explain any further because mom and the nurse were ROFL.)
At preschool, out of the blue and not in context to anything, Sophia told her teacher Miss Dee: “I love my mommy; she takes good care of me.”
Of course, as children grow they learn to be a little more guarded with responses – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although I wonder sometimes if God wouldn’t love it if we threw our arms up in the air and spontaneously declared, “You’re a genius, Father!” Or out of the blue we sincerely pronounced, “I love you, Father! You take such good care of me!”
It’s true we should all grow up and mature, but at the same time we are still God’s children. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to occasionally be like a little child.
