Dear Family and Friends,

Our daughter posted a recent photo of our 16-month-old granddaughter with the caption: I blinked and suddenly she’s not a baby anymore.

Gosh we miss them dearly. But so grateful for the tools that allow us and many other grandparents to enjoy these precious years from afar.

This photo and others were taken during a visit to the local library with her brother. One photo is of our six-year-old grandson standing beside his sister as she looks through a book.

And in my favorite, our grandson is quietly sitting and reading while our granddaughter sits nearby and does the same.

These images, meant to show us their daily activities, actually have deeper messages – they are displays of how we who follow Christ should ourselves live.

In the first photo, our grandson was sharing with his little sister what he has learned. Just as Hebrews 13:16 NIV says, “do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

In the second, he’s modeling his love for reading, so she is learning to love to read too. Just like what Paul wrote in Titus 2:7 NIV. “In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”

Our grandson put into practice what we ourselves are called to do – to not only love others but to express that love through acts of kindness and help. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  1 John 3:18 NIV

Oh the things we can learn from our young ones.

Our lessons from a six-year-old need not stop here. In fact, Jesus teaches that we are to change and become like little children.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:1-5‬ NIV

While our years may elevate us over a ‘lowly’ child from the world’s perspective, Jesus is trying to tell us that the most important qualities in the Kingdom of Heaven are the exact opposite.

By asking us to become like a little child, Jesus is asking that we go back to the simple yet beautiful qualities of children, to the characteristics we once had… before this sinful world beat it out of us.

For example:

Children are blind to the color of another child’s skin, the way they dress, their gender. To a child, another child on the playground is simply a friend.

Children are open and honest about their feelings and emotions.

Forgiveness comes easily. They love with no conditions.

Children have an insatiable curiosity and a hunger to learn and grow.

Children always start with hope for the best – in life and in others. 

These are just a few of the qualities of children, many of which we substitute for adult traits like cynicism, prejudice, unforgiveness, complacency, pride, etc.

Let’s face it, our souls have become calloused.

So, where do we go from here?

I could suggest we do all the churchy stuff like realize we need to change, to call on the Holy Spirit, and ask God to change us, etc.

But I’m not.

I’ll suggest instead that we spend time really watching children. Not the baby sitting kind of watching where we’re protecting them from themselves. I mean watching them to learn a lesson or two.

Watching for their innocent nature. How they see things not as they are but imagining what they could be. Their sense of wonderment in the simplest of things. How easily they find happiness and joy, which they keep repeating because it feels so good. Take notice of their playfulness, exuberance and trusting nature.

Allow them to remind us of our own wonder years. Those years when we jumped out of bed knowing it was going to be a good day, no matter what happened.

And through all of this let them be inspirations, to move us towards wanting their childlike traits.

When our granddaughter was about 14 months old, just walking for three months, she started sliding down slides and climbing jungle gyms. She’s fearless, not allowing her limitations to hold her back from all that life has to offer. Why? Because of her total trust in her parents.

Hmmm, another lesson? This time from a one-year-old.

In love always,