March 23
Scripture: Matt 19:14
Source author: John C. Westervelt
March 23
A Child’s Love Jesus said, “ Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” —Matthew 19:14
The week after I retired from an engineering career, I began volunteering in my church’s weekday preschool. Many times my role with the children is just being there to listen. Like one day when Jordan drew at an art center in the weekday preschool four-year-old class. As I stood nearby, she looked up and said, “Grandpa John, my little dog Jenny died.” “I am sorry. What happened?” I asked. Jordan said, “Jenny and a big dog were let out together at the kennel. The big dog bit Jenny, and Jenny died. I miss Jenny, and so does my mommy. When Mommy talks on the telephone about Jenny, sometimes she cries.” At other times, I’m the one who is blessed, like when I helped Annie in the three-year-old class put some paper on the easel so she could paint blue and green. She leaned her head back, looked into my eyes, and softly said, “I love you, Grandpa John.” It was then that I knew how God must feel when I say, “I love you, God.”
Have you expressed your love for God today? — John C. Westervelt —