love me?...yes

I received this today from a guy I went to high school with in his newsletter, and I just thought I'd pass it on. He grew up in Azle but now lives and works in Tennessee. His website is www.kairosworld.com

it was 'children's day' today in church. 'children's day' is about as real as it gets; "real" being in agreement with webster's def.: adj. [ree-uhl] unfeigned or sincere. you know. they sing songs with motions. hand motions. half face the congregation. half face the choir. it's a mess.

i've discovered there are two types of children in this setting: 1) the grinners. teeth showing, they shout the songs, wave to mom, dad, grandmother and grandad, a distant cousin and each of their past four babysitters. 2) the blanks. with an apathetic posture they stare directly at their mother and father simultaneously, communicating "you did this to me".

and on this day, we adults sincerely enjoy both.

then, in the middle of the teeming chaos, they open their mouths. "Jesus loves me/this i know/for the Bible tells me so", spilling the truth of Salvation into the open air. and without prompt, the congregation begins to hum along, "little ones to Him belong/they are weak but He is strong".

i've made grievous mistakes in my twenty-three+ years. the morning after one of many transgressions, i spent time with my, at that time, twenty month-old cousin graham while his parents visited the doctor. after awhile, graham inevitably became upset, wanting to see his mom, dad and his sibling yet to be. tears flowed hard.

we rode up and down elevators, talked with strangers, stuck our noses in water fountains, walked outside and had a heart to heart chat about the uselessness of the crying. more tears.

not being a parent i'm not up on the tricks of the trade, but it suddenly hit me - SING. "yes, Jesus loves me/yes Jesus loves me/yes, Jesus loves me/the Bible tells me so". graham's crying turned quiet. and my hopeless heart began to beat again.

"when i said, my foot is slipping
your love, oh Lord, supported me". psalm 94:18, 19.

taking a hint from the child in each of us, may we never forget the love of our gracious father, God.

andrew