Little things

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” --Matthew 19:14


I have been thinking about children lately. Jesus had a special place under his wing-- just for them.

Four years ago, I was really wrestling with a Call to ministry. I had my spiritual fingers stuck hard in my spiritual ears, was making all kinds of lalalalalalalala noises, trying soooo hard to drown God out, to convince God he had the wrong chick.


God was not convinced.


One warm afternoon, after I got particularly vocal with God, hurling epithets across the waters of Lake Erie like so many stones for skipping, God responded. 


"There will always be children in your life, Child."


Heidi was not convinced. That was four years ago.


Guess what.


The children I used to teach, "littlies" four and five years old, have been turning up in my life, bigger and better than ever.


A young man on the high school football team (yes, high school) whom I had not seen since he was four, spotted me across a crowded parade field. "I REMEMBER YOU-- YOU WERE MY PRESCHOOL TEACHER!" Delivered with a big grin and a wave. Seriously? You remember me???


Giving blood, the phlebotomist looks so familiar. Finally, she says, "Why do I feel like I know you?" Turns out I had her son when he was four-- and now he is ten. 


Day in, day out, we go about our business in this world. Some days, it is all we can do, it seems, to get out alive. Some days teaching, the turkeys were definitely winning.


Some days. 

But other days, days when the sun shone especially warmly, when the juice seemed to have extra giggles in it-- those days made it all worthwhile.


Someone once said something to the effect that the only things that have ever changed the world-- are little things. Things in the ordinariness of our lives that changed the world around us.


Point being: you never, ever know.


You never, ever know when a child will remember that you were willing to spend extra time, just listening. Learning his language, a language of laughter and love.


You never, ever know when that extra smile-- the one you didn't need-- given to a tired mother at the end of a long day would be just what the doctor ordered.


You never, ever know when, or who, or how. 

God left us here, charged with being the hands and feet of Jesus until he returns. 

Hands that hold. 

Feet that move. 

Eyes that smile. 

Ears that listen patiently, even when the words come slowly.

Lips willing to speak words of love, not condemnation.


There will always be children in my life. God just never mentioned how old they would be. Children of God, of any age, any size. 


Yup. We are all children of the Creator. We are all God's favorite little things.


Be blessed. Be blessing.