“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Today I got to meet two ADORABLE tow headed blue eyed little boys who live next door to the new guesthouse we are staying in. We’ve seen them at a distance a few times and can certainly hear their 3 and 4 year old voices during the day. They were playing outside and I approached them and introduced myself. They were shy for a total of ten seconds and then in great animation went on to tell me how old they were, what they did today, all about the dogs and cats around here, and the oldest made an adamant point to declare how he is OLDER than his little brother. I played with them as they rode a bike and played on their scooter. Hysterical laughter was almost contagious and they were so full of life, adventure and trust in this perfect stranger.
Their parents were a house away talking with some other people on the compound as I played with them. I tried to say goodbye to them and the youngest ran off crying because I was saying goodbye. As I followed him, the oldest boy raced his scooter into a drain cover and fell. He burst into huge tears and kept exclaiming, “owie, owie, owie!!”. I scooped him up and carried him towards his parents with his newly injure knees. As I did, he clung to my shoulder and cried and cried.
As I carried this sweet guy and thought of his younger brother’s tears, my heart was moved at how tender children can be. I love these words of Jesus and anytime He interacted with children. I can picture Him coming alive and rejoicing and understanding their pure hearts and minds. How impressionable they are, how pure they are in their love.
I want to be like that. I want to be a daughter of God who smiles up at my Daddy. Who speaks to Him with reverence but excitement to share my life and love with Him. I want to see purely and trust Him knowing that He cares for me.
Stephen always remarks at how much I love kids. I gawk at all of the sweet Kenyan school kids I’ve been seeing here everyday and want to take them with me. He assures me that would be a crime ;-) It’s just that I see such precious things when I look at them. I love their smiles and giggles when the goofy white girl waves at them. I loved how these two little boys today as precious as could be decided to make a new friend in me.
I believe that is how God sees us as His children. He loves when we come with pure faith and unhindered unadulterated love. He loves when we get excited to see Him. His heart is moved when we acknowledge Him and invite Him into our activities. When we invite Him into our daily lives even our bike riding and scooter gliding, He is able to pick us up when we fall and “scrape our knees”. I’m thankful for such a loving Father and Jesus who don’t desire that we come with high and lofty ideas of them, but welcome a reverent yet child like heart of love.