The Children of God

Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he became irritated. He told them, "Don't stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of the kingdom of God.

God loves the children. Jesus insisted that the children be allowed to come to Him. Even our world's societies recognize that children are the hope for the future.

Evil, at its worst, is expressed against children. Even prisoners have a special disregard to those who are convicted of crimes against children.

Children are weak, unskilled, inattentive, immature. They are full of the wonder of new discovery, exuberant, joyful. They see God's artistry in an autumn leaf plucked out of the mud, but they can't see the things they are assigned to pick up around the house. They believe easily, whether fairy tales or God's scriptures. They love easily, whether the object of their love is deserving or not. They forgive easily, until they have been wounded so much that they "grow up."

To watch children on a playground is to see extravagance in action. They live in the present, with no thought for the future or worry about the past. They use what they have in reach and build castles and cities and wonderlands which they enjoy to the fullest. They don't hold back and say, "I'll need some energy for my chores and homework, so I'm not going to run when we play tag. I'm only going to walk fast."

Children feel deeply, but quickly. They don't retain or grasp for a particular emotion. They allow them all to flow freely and morph quickly. Joy gives way to frustration, then to anger, followed by resentment, with tears close behind, then the sun breaks through again as smiles lead to laughter without recollection of the tumultuous storm a short time before.

Parents bond with their children, pouring their time and energy, resources and efforts into the protection and shaping of the ones they love. Money is spent, sleep is lost, personal time is given for the sake of the needs brought by our children. Parents make plans for their children, give discipline to their children, have fun with their children, talk endlessly to friends, family, and neighbors about their children.

Childhood is a time of wonder, discovery, learning. Some lessons are fun and painless, some are hard and painful. In our own experiences, the balances have not always evened out, and our memories are often slanted more to one way than the other. Life in this world is not perfect, ideal, or fair, though it is shaped after the perfect model that God set out originally. Whether as children or as adults, whether as parents of children or relatives of children, we see where sin touches the pattern and causes it to shift away from the norm.

God put His plan of redemption into place from the first and Jesus carried it out perfectly, giving us the opportunity to see what a perfect parent/child relationship can be and demonstrating what a loving and caring father/son relationship can accomplish. This model gives us hope that we can come to the Father through His Son and, although what we bring is flawed and misshapen, know that what we receive is perfectly formed to our individual needs to make us strong and able to run and play with all the others.

Let God bring healing, and strength, and wholeness. It does take time, but God is perfectly patient and is not in a hurry. Take His hand, walk with Him today, let Him give you a new way of looking around you, seeing His creation through His eyes, regain the wonder and joy of living in the Father's world as His child, loved and protected, free from fear and pain, able to start receiving love and giving love.

I'll meet you at the playground.

Thank You, Abba Father! We love You. Come play with us today.

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