Hammer on Anvil '

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" (Matthew 18:1-3).

In the ancient Roman world, little children were least important. But when Jesus came, old ways of measuring greatness were no longer valid. Jesus turned the world upside down when He told His followers they must become like little children.

To become like children, we have to know something about children. Here are some observations that came to mind as I meditated on this passage from Matthew:

• Children are marvelously simple human beings. They don't wake up in the morning and immediately start worrying about what the day might hold. They don't wonder what they're going to eat or wear -- those things are their parents' concern.

• Children don't lie awake at night and worry; their sleep is sweet.

• Children aren't concerned about what others think of them; that comes later, when society begins dictating how we should look and act.

• Children are joyful, and possess a delightful wonder about things. They are like sponges who crave learning to the point of saturation. Their needs are simple. They fall asleep when they're tired -- whenever and wherever that might be.

• Children forgive quickly and easily. They are not prideful. They don't sweat the small stuff.

• Children don't fear lack. They have implicit trust that their parents will meet their every need.

• Children are pure in heart, unsullied by the world.

• Children don't have an agenda; they look to their parents for direction and wisdom.

Our oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Bethany, are school teachers. Before Bethany took a sabbatical when their third daughter was born, I cared for our older two granddaughters full-time. When Evie (whose recent photo adorns this blog) was not quite one year old, she would wake in the morning, stand in her crib and reach for me with a huge grin on her little face. It's as if she was saying, "I'm ready, Grandma! What great adventures are we going to have today?" As you can see by the photo, she still embraces life with joy and gusto.

Imagine if WE began our days like Evie, excitedly looking to our Abba Father, breathless with anticipation about where He might lead us and how He might use us! This, I think, is the heart of a child: never losing sight of who our Father is, and that He is the source of all life. He created us, He leads us, and He equips us to do whatever He calls us to do.