Such As These

My closest companions since beginning the daycare job in February have been persons ages 5 and below.  I'm not complaining. :)  I miss my kiddos (not just my class of 2 and 3's, but the 4 and 5's next door, too!) from the daycare immensely, but...

This has been the second week of my "new job"--babysitting a just-turned-2-year-old who is as sweet as a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies.

As I type, my mind replays the theme song to Bubble Guppies and something feels quite not right about sitting at a computer rather than a puzzle.  Little boy and family are currently on vacation, and I am readying things for church camp; so I won't see him next week either.  I miss him already.

This week has also been Vacation Bible School at our congregation.  Wouldn't you guess it, I was asked to help with the 2 and 3 year old class.  Surely, gladly, and AMEN. :)  Every night of VBS, I think we had anywhere from 13-17 kiddos in our age group.  WOW.  Thankfully, we had a lot of help!

Saturday I'll head to the camp premises to prep for the kids' arrival Sunday afternoon.  I'm a staff member again this year...working with--yep, you guessed it--the Peewees.  

I never thought I'd be this much in love with a bunch of rowdy, sticky, giggly, whiny, precious, clumsy, cuddly kiddos.  This would be the appropriate time to adamantly declare, "I will not, will not, will not be a teacher!"

More clearly now, I am seeing deeper into Jesus' statement in Matthew 18:3, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."  I like being with children.  They're enthralled by the simplest joys and easy to persuade.  Below a certain age, they're sugar-sweet, affectionate, and virtually attitude-free.  Many of them have yet to be poisoned by the worldly values that entangle us teens and adults. 

I like the innocence, purity, and simple focus of a child.  

I want so much to maintain that child-like conversion that was made when I was baptized into Christ, dying to my self and my sin.  

I want to trust and obey God, simply because I know He loves me and provides for me.  

I want to have a humble innocence, undefiled by lusts of this world.  

I want to hear His voice above all else, humbly following where He leads, because "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Mark 10:14)

Shouldn't we all strive for that?  My Daddy has always been what I call a "child-whisperer."  He can literally look at a crying baby and make the tears vanish.  He LOVES holding babies and running in circles with toddlers.  Maybe he's discovered that these children are good examples of what we must be like to enter heaven.  Cling to the children you know.  They'll teach you a few things. :)