Thank you. Having you in my life has taught me many new things, brought me joy and laughter, and also touched my heart in more ways than one.
You have taught me practical things like that markers are better than crayons, gummy's ARE a food group, not to worry when you try to off the jungle gym from the top of the slide because you won't get hurt!
You have also taught me about life and about God...
In the book of Matthew, we are told that we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we become like little children. Thanks to you I understand this much clearer than before. Children unknowingly display such innocence, love, forgiveness, and grace. They live a life in simplicity. Children of all different personalities seem to want one thing... to love and be loved. Children do not care what you look like, what you are wearing, or how much money you have. They simply want someone to love them. I love coming to work and having my little ones run to me and jump in my arms. I love serving in Woodlawn and having children I don't know jump on me to hold them. Even when children have been through horrible experiences, there is still a loving nature within. Some frantically search for anyone to care and some build up walls of protection.... but even the hardest of walls can break. All it takes is consistent love, affection, and hope.
You have also taught me that all of life's "boo- boos" are kissable! When children get hurt they go from crying/ screaming to completely healed in 2.5 seconds... all it takes is a simple kiss. It isn't in the kiss that they are healed. It is what the kiss represents. They want someone to understand and simply embrace them in their brokenness.
When children get hurt they don't run and hide alone or run even closer to their source of pain (which I have done plenty of times)but they run to a source of love and protection.
As an adult, I catch myself hiding my "boo boos" away and looking for anyway to heal them by myself. Instead of running toward the ultimate source of love and protection (GOD) I run away from him. I imagine the feeling I have when I can 'heal' a child with a single kiss and open arms .... and then think of my heavenly father. How much greater are his feelings for me than my feelings for them? His arms are wide open and he is patiently waiting for us to run to his healing embrace. He is our FATHER. He desperately wants to protect. heal, and love on his children.
Children are more forgiving than any adult I have ever encountered. I observe countless arguments and fights everyday at work. The fights are normally about seemingly silly matters but from a child's perspective they are huge matters. No matter what the matter is they almost always are able to exchange apologies and instantly become best friends again. They do not hold grudges and hatred in their hearts the way many of us do. The process of argumentation just seems to flow so much quicker and smother with them. They forgive each other and completely forget it happened. My mind cannot fully grasp this. Jesus knows everyone of our sins and loves and accepts us anyways. He not only knows our sins, he carried them on his back and covered them with his blood! Jesus is a healer. No matter how deep the sin, he is willing to forgive us. All we have to do is ask. He wants to kiss our "boo-boos" no matter how bruised and bloody they may be!
Maybe God designed children to mirror the way our relationship should look with him. Maybe he wants his children to come to him as just that. He created us with love, care, purity, cleanliness, and innocence. The ways of the world work to twist, take, and destroy his creation. Maybe Jesus tells us we must become like children to enter his kingdom not as a test to pass, but because heaven is a place of unending, unconditional love and forgiveness.
