Daaaaaddeeeeeeee!!! The scream rang out through the fellowship hall as a 2 year old bundle of pigtails, pink cheeks and sneakers came barreling into the room, oblivious to the meeting in progress. Maggie caught my eye on her way to the nursery, and having not seen me all day, she was off like a shot. I sat at the back of the room, expecting her to come in with Kate and the rest of the kids anytime, and so I was ready for her. I met her halfway across the room and caught her up as she jumped into my arms, a wiggling, giggling bundle of unbridled joy. She rested her head on my shoulder and hugged my neck as I carried her back to the nursery and we got her settled in. Only a pulseless rock wouldn’t be moved to tears at a greeting like that. The guileless, reckless and unfettered love of a young child is a wondrous gift of God.
Mary Kay Dyer, our Children’s Minister, had just been teaching about one of her two favorite scriptures, Mark 10:13-16:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
This episode got me thinking about one of my favorite passages too, Hebrews 4:16:
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Now Maggie is not perfect. She is a skillful 2 year old schemer, schmoozer, stinker and stomper, who realized young that wallflower is not the preferred posture when the youngest of 4. It is even remotely possible that she had been naughty earlier in the day, though to look in her eyes you would hardly believe it. If so, nothing could have been further from her mind when she saw me and ran for my arms. She hesitated not a moment with the thought I might turn away or shush her up because of some meeting. It never entered her mind I might stop her before she jumped into my arms to question her about her behavior that day. I was her daddy and she my little girl--end of story. She approached me full tilt, as a little child, absolutely confident of my unconditional love. She knows charm only goes so far, and that I will discipline her when needed and appropriate; still she runs to me with abandon, knowing deeply things about her father's love I am still learning about my heavenly father's.
Mary Kay Dyer, our Children’s Minister, had just been teaching about one of her two favorite scriptures, Mark 10:13-16:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
This episode got me thinking about one of my favorite passages too, Hebrews 4:16:
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Now Maggie is not perfect. She is a skillful 2 year old schemer, schmoozer, stinker and stomper, who realized young that wallflower is not the preferred posture when the youngest of 4. It is even remotely possible that she had been naughty earlier in the day, though to look in her eyes you would hardly believe it. If so, nothing could have been further from her mind when she saw me and ran for my arms. She hesitated not a moment with the thought I might turn away or shush her up because of some meeting. It never entered her mind I might stop her before she jumped into my arms to question her about her behavior that day. I was her daddy and she my little girl--end of story. She approached me full tilt, as a little child, absolutely confident of my unconditional love. She knows charm only goes so far, and that I will discipline her when needed and appropriate; still she runs to me with abandon, knowing deeply things about her father's love I am still learning about my heavenly father's.
Del this is beautiful. You have always been a great example of the Fathers love
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