Thank God for Kids

I remember fondly the birth of my 4th (and last) child Daniel. He was an emergency C-Section. Shortly after he entered this world in a rather traumatic fashion: rather like Macbeth’s nemesis Macduff, about whom it was bewitchingly prophesied that he should beware…yet no man born of woman would harm Macbeth – blah, blah, blah – then we discover that Macduff was “untimely ripped from his mother’s womb”… well, shortly after Daniel’s untimely ripping, I found myself sitting in a rocking chair next to the precautionary incubator holding my precious infant and gently singing my version of the Oak Ridge Boys’ hit “Thank God for Kids.” You know how it goes: “Thank God for kids there’s magic for awhile; a special kind of sunshine in a smile…” I actually got to hold him before his mother did. I still love that song.

As Proverbs 20:11 states, “Every child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.” There is the other side of the coin a couple of chapters later, “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…” (Proverbs 22:15a). As I thought about this blog, my ponderings led me to contemplate the difference between childlike and childish. I am some of both depending on the day.

Early in my educational career, I remember having a poster on my classroom wall that illustrates this well. It was a black and white enlarged photograph of a whole bunch of people, mostly adults, protesting the integrative strategy of school bussing in the South back in the Sixties. The faces of those adults glimmered with anger, fear, prejudice, outrage, and multiple other negative emotions. Naturally, blacks were on one side and whites on the other – all had picket signs reiterating their voiced indignations. Right down in front of that photo were two little girls – possibly not even school-age yet. One was white and one was black. They were holding hands. The caption of the poster was something like, “When left to themselves, children get along.” That poster imagery just might sum up childlike versus childish.

A concept that also comes to mind is that it is okay to be a child; but it isn’t okay to stay a child. We are expected to grow, develop, mature, etc. It struck me that children DON’T: hold grudges (very long); wear masks (very often); hide their pain (they cry a lot and loudly); always want to share (especially a new book or toy). On the other hand children often DO: show delight (in whatever is new and interesting); give frequent hugs (to almost anyone nice); enjoy cuddling (with mommies and grandmas); hold tight to new/special things (their stuff); take joy in sharing (just not always the first day of ownership or the absolute most special possession); respond well to love (safe and warm).

Notice 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.” What strikes me most about that passage is that the children gladly crawled up in this strange man’s lap and let him put his hands on them. Trusting little folks, weren’t they?

Obviously Mark, through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, is trying to tell us that we need to be childlike. Some other passages repeat this idea:

Matthew 11:25…At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 18:2…Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:11…When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

In just those few statements, God’s love letter explains the difference in my acting as a child and in a childish manner. The first is anticipated, even encouraged. The latter shown for the negative folly that it is. As John the beloved stated: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:10)

In 3 John 4, God sums up how he feels about children or even about us as we act in a childlike, but not childish, way: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Though often embarrassed by my own childishness, I enjoy the times when I know it feels good and right to act on the novelty, enthusiasm, passion, and frolic of being a little like a child. I'm a little bit okay with acting like a little bit.

My Mission Lazarus Story: Day 3

Day 3, Monday, June 7: Awoke at 5:45 a.m., showered, watched Marty terminate a 4 inch scorpion crawling toward his luggage, ate a delicious pancake breakfast, then phoned Delores at home, cell, and work…all to no avail. After breakfast I finally reached her at work. It was good to hear her voice. We loaded the 50 pound food sacks (to feed a family of 4 for a month) into the vehicles and headed down the mountain to work at Namasique. We took a brief detour to see the office area of the ranch and drop off Chuck for his cyber-mission. Cameron and his dog "Squirrel" were wonderful guides and one of them liked to be petted a lot.For the work at Namasique, we were divided into three teams. Some stayed at the church property to help with construction of the well, community center, public bath house, and leveling the area.Others went out for food delivery and evangelism. When the visit was with Christians, it was for encouragement: greeting, photos, candy and stuffed animals to the children, scripture, song, prayer, etc. The children weren’t the only ones who loved having their pictures taken and then seeing them in the digital camera view finders. When the family wasn’t already Christians, a Bible study was attempted on the spot. Each evangelism team had a local member who knew the situation of those we were to visit and a translator. I had taken nearly 30 caps to give away in addition to several shirts. My wife had sent about 20 tops. These all made their way into the appreciative hands of children or adults.We returned to the work site for lunch and some of the men took a turn with the shovels.The highlight of today was the baptism of a young mother in the river that afternoon. This wasn’t a result of our efforts – it was already set up when we met the lady at one of the houses – we just had the joy of witnessing it. After all day in the hot, humid conditions, even though I was not doing an real manual labor, I admit to feeling exhausted. We were back at Mission Lazarus by 5:30 p.m. The air conditioned ride had me revived and feeling better. The constant amazement with the traffic and driving habits had us all realizing that speed limit and other warning signs were merely SUGGESTIONS! Supper included chicken, fries, green beans (with bacon), and some incredible homemade chips and dip. I topped that off with an ice cream cone (one per night). The gift shop was opened for us. I found a “golf” shirt and cap that I liked both with the ML logo. Those would prove to be my only non-edible purchases on the entire trip. Following our sharing time, I was in bed by 9:15 p.m.