Children

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:25

My grandson’s smile lights up my world like few others things can. The innocence of a toddler as he plays a game with Gramma and Grampa, his sitters, on Sunday mornings. When Gramma carries him into the church fellowship, he starts to dance to the music and “clapping” along in appreciation. To see what he sees and to enjoy what he senses at his age would be a great gift to a life-scarred man or woman. Perhaps, our “childlike” wonder starts to fade with exhausted parents doing their best with limited support or experience. Or when school-age children break the “truth” to one another about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus. Or when negativity via social media, and groupthink the classroom all chip away at one’s innocence and wonder.

But for our grandchild, his parents and his grandparents, this is not his reality. Though our children do not yet share our convictions, they nevertheless feel our devotion and our benefit from our example. We imperfectly follow the model of perfect Love and Truth. And we show our grandchild that we have a church community that knows there is a world outside that wants to steal his wonder, but it will not happen today. We reveal to him what we have been taught, late in life, by following Jesus. Today was a great day.