Matthew 19:13-34. Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.
She had the neatest room. Her bed was always precisely made and each toy had its special place. One drawer held her coloring books containing pages filled with pictures colored exactly within the lines. Next to the coloring books rested a box of 64 crayons, each placed orderly in the box. Occasionally, her small metal barn would be displayed along with fences corralling sheep, pigs, cattle and chickens.
As I grew and developed new interests, her interests never changed. As I learned to read and write, I marveled at her handwriting on birthday and Christmas cards, noting that it was never the same, always imitating the handwriting of the person writing the phrase that she mimicked. I never thought of her behavior as unusual or her appearance as different. To me, she was my loving, almost always cheerful Aunt Betty.
She remained a child her entire short life, but most importantly, even though she had limitations, caused by Down’s Syndrome, she possessed an attribute that many of us strive our entire lives to achieve. It was a fact of life for her, just like breathing, eating and sleeping, that she was a child of God and that Jesus loved her. She never questioned her faith, only trusted with her entire being.
When Jesus called the children to come to him, he knew that they possessed the kind of attitude needed to know God. We all need to put aside the obstacles that would stand in our way, and strive for the simple “childlike” faith that she possessed.
Lord, help us to know that we are all your children. Let us strive to simplify our lives and accept your love and grace. Amen.
Reprinted from St. Mark Presbyterian's 2000 Lenten Devotion with permission of C. Polak
No comments:
Post a Comment