The Little Children and Jesus

The Little Children and Jesus

Have you ever stepped back and observed a child for 10-20 minutes? Children are magnificent creatures and in Luke 18:15-17 Jesus said “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” Wow, Jesus values the young among us and wants us to learn from them!

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Luke 18:15-17

I’d like to share a few lessons I’ve learned from working with children for the past 25 years. The first is that children are playful. When playing they are able to put their worries, struggles, and frustrations with others to the side and truly enjoy their time with those in their presence. Children are able to break down the walls of differences they may have with others for the pure purpose of enjoying their time together. Their imaginations can carry them off to faraway places or turn a simple box into a rocketship. What if we were able to resemble the “playfulness” of a child within our relationships with others? Am I able to set aside my differences with my neighbor for the pure purpose of getting to know them, as God sees them?

The second life lesson I’ve learned from children is the ability to love unconditionally. Young children don’t tend to harbor negative emotions towards others for very long. They truly practice the art of “forgiving and forgetting!” I was in one of our toddler classrooms recently and saw the perfect example of loving unconditionally lived out between two 2-year-olds. One child snatched a toy out of the hands of another child leaving him sad and a bit frustrated. After regaining the toy, with the help of a teacher, the child continued to play for a little bit longer. However, after just a few minutes the child went up to their friend who took their toy just a short time prior and handed them the toy to play with. . .no strings attached, no bartering, no negotiating. He was greeted with a smile and a big hug from his friend. An act demonstrated out of pure selflessness and unconditional love.

I encourage you to truly observe the interactions between a few young children over this next week. Stop by a park or playground, engage with your young family members, or take some moments to notice our NQACC kids outside at play. I guarantee you will quickly observe the beauty of Christ exhibited through these young lives. My prayer is that you see Christ in them and that you can see characteristics of yourself through the way they play and love unconditionally

CARA WARDLAW
Center Director
North Queen Anne Childcare