Crazy!

And he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:2

 

This morning at church, I got asked the question, “Do you like toilet paper?”  My answer?  “Absolutely!  Who doesn’t like toilet paper? I mean, what’s not to like?”  The follow up question was, “Do you like toilet paper or paper towels better?”  To that I replied, “Well, it depends on what room of the house I’m in.”  You might, by now, be thinking that my new friend was incredibly rude.  Would it change your mind to know that a sixth grade boy and girl were asking the questions in a “get to know the leader session” that had been prefaced by the youth pastor telling them no question was too embarrassing. 

 

I have never worked with kids as young as sixth grade before, but this year, Andy and I will both be leading small groups for sixth graders.  When we left church, he remarked, “I just don’t know how to focus on them.  They all talk to me at one time!”  Teaching ninth grade, I’m definitely used to a million children talking to me at one time, but I was not prepared for the very short attention span of sixth graders.  It was unbelievable the ideas that run through their mind in the course of a minute – most of which come out of their mouth.  Fidgeting was a given.  One girl even fell out of her chair during the message because she was rocking it back and forth.  The speaker was AWESOME with them, but I had to wonder if anything was getting through.  Then, at the end, came the sweetest moment.

 

The speaker had been talking to them about love and how God loves us.  He used John 3:16-17 as his reference verses.  You probably have them memorized, but if not, they say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.”  He spent time illustrating the difference between saying we love something and loving something enough to die for it, so by the end of the message, he had the kids admitting that they loved their families but they weren’t sure they loved them enough to die for them.  At the very end of the lesson, a boy in the back asked (while rocking his chair), “So, you mean God loves us more than our families love us?”  The speaker responded, “Yes, God loves you more than your families AND he knows you better than they do.”  I loved watching this child process the speaker’s comments.  The lesson moved on quickly, but I saw his eyes fill with reflection and heard him whisper to himself, “Crazy!”

 

Nothing I heard this morning spoke to me more than this child and his private thoughts.  Yes, the way God loves us is crazy, but how often I forget it.  The wonder of the gospel is often lost on me, and I spend more time focusing on myself than the Lord who loves me.  Driving away from church, Andy also commented that it is cool to see the way these kids process the Word of God.  I have to agree.  It is so cool and such a reminder to me to have faith like theirs.  To believe that God loves me more than my parents or my husband or my siblings or my friends – and therefore, he can be more than trusted.