When my friend Caleb was sitting beside me last night at supper, I watched as he attacked the soda crackers in his chili. I chose the word attacked, because that's what it was. An attack! I should have guessed there would be one, since Caleb showed up in camo.
When the battle broke out, He was "zoom"ing down on the crackers with his knife. It got so rough he had me buckle him into the highchair. While we were still at the table, Caleb told me that he had been eating crackers in his chili since he was a baby. I laughed out loud, since I have socks older than him. He had me grinning.
Later, we were on the stage in the sanctuary, getting ready to pray. One of the things Bunny does to help get everyone focused is have the worship team kneel before we start with prayer. Kneeling alters your perspective on things and really helps you focus. So I had knelt down when Caleb came up to show me his shoes that lit up. Then instantly, he wasn't Caleb any more. Instead, I was nose to nose with a bucking bronco.
While we were practicing, Caleb was taking some trucks he had found in the nursery and putting together a truck convoy down the center aisle. Those trucks were really getting down the road too. He had me grinning as I watched the sheer joy and imagination God gives children on display right there. Worship comes at strange times for me I guess, because as we were practicing singing "How can I keep from singing your praise", my primary reason for singing those words at that moment was born from the wonder at just how awesome God's gift of children really is.
15 People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. 16 Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. 17 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."
Luke 18:15-17 (The Message)
The picture always catches me between a smile or frown depending on what mood I might be in. On a good day I'm smiling thinking about Jesus' love for those children and His eagerness to put them up as an example of how the kingdom works. On a bad day, I think about the disciples and go (usually inaudibly) GRRR.
Jesus' point wasn't that we should put children on the throne - they couldn't handle that.
No, His point was that we had to approach God with a spirit that acknowledges - even celebrates - that we don't know it all. When Jesus chose to use a word for children that meant one who was learning and growing, he meant we had to be like that too. We can't just see what is present in the now of our lives as all there is and ever will be.
No! We have to be ready to change - to morph! As Max Lucado puts it, "God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way." Exactly.
Today I found out that Caleb's daddy calls him "Sparky".
I love that. He's sure got that spark of joy - of wonder - in him.
My prayer is that as Caleb (and you and I) grow up and grow older, that we'll always leave room in our hearts and minds to learn more about the wonder of Jesus. That Sparky won't ever lose his imagination or his joy.
And that we'll live like who we are - Jesus' pride and joy.
Grace!
David Wilson
Lead pastor - New Hope!--
Visit with me at my blogs:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/
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