Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” Matthew 19:14
One morning my daughter came into our room early and she enjoyed some time with me - just the two of us. It was a special time while her brothers were asleep. She is an early riser and comes in most mornings, but this one specific morning was a bit different. We were laughing and giggling and having a wonderful time. Usually when she comes in, she arrives with a blanket and a stuffed animal. Her collection of stuffed animals and dolls covers her bed! She often pretends they are her babies and does a great job of taking care of her precious babies and animals. As we were being silly, I realized she didn’t have any stuffed animals or dolls. I asked her, “Aren’t your babies sad by themselves?” Thinking she would run off and grab one. Her reply back was priceless, “God is with them. He is everywhere.” My head and heart said, "Wow, what an incredible insight." My husband and I looked at each other and smiled, treasuring the childlike faith she proudly shared with us. I am so appreciative of the teaching in our home as well as the teaching of her church teachers on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Later that day, I began to ponder the moment earlier in the day with our three-year-old and treasured her reply. I began to think about how she arrived at that response. At night, our kids try very hard and use a variety of ploys to avoid staying in their beds. There is the classic, "I’m thirsty," "I need to go to the bathroom," "I’m scared of the dark," "the nightlight is unplugged," "I’m cold," and you can probably name a few others that I am not recalling at this moment.
When the kids use the excuse, "I’m scared of the dark," this is the phrase we typically respond back with, "Pray to God, He Is always with you." We have talked about how God is Omnipresent, and He is always there for you. We've also said phrases like, "Pray to God to give you comfort and help you to not be afraid." Sometimes we pray together and other times they pray on their own - then they head off to bed. It is great to realize how our daughter is putting together the pieces and realizing how great and mighty our God is.
Would you pause for a moment and be thankful that the presence of God is present in every space you have been and every space you will enter. He is present before your arrival and after your departure. What a pleasant and beautiful thought.
