I was invited out to lunch by some friends after church. They couldn't be there until 1:00 pm so I had some time to kill after I left our campus. We were eating just a couple of miles from an antique store that I make a habit of going to because they have a section that one vendor has that is nothing but used trains. He has packed so much stuff in his small space that it is always an adventure to see what he has collected and is now selling. There were several folks looking around including a couple of young boys who were looking at boxes of freight cars. As it happens, everyone left and I and the boys were still there and as started around a corner, they were both on the ground kneeling with a piece of "O" scale track and they had opened some boxes. I looked down and figured out right away what they were doing. The track was what they had at home, and they were opening the boxes to see if these rail cars would fit on their track. They said they had a train at home but wanted to have it go around their Christmas tree and felt like they needed more cars to make the train longer. I told them that was a great idea and that they were smart to check the size of the cars the way they were doing it. Well, we got to talking about trains and shared our own model trains stories for a few minutes. I was thrilled to see boys having the same passion for model railroads that I had. We had the best time swapping stories of our trains and after a few minutes I told them to keep at it...that this was the way you hunt down the stuff you want for your sets and make sure it will work with you already have. I got the feeling that they were relieved that the adult didn't get upset at what they were doing and was sharing their enthusiastic search for just the right stuff for their trains. As I walked out, I thought about the incident that Jesus had with children who had been brought by their parents to see him. The disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus. But instead of killing their enthusiasm, Jesus said for them to not stop the children but to let them and their parents come close...because the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. They and their parents wanted to discover what this good news was all about, to see what treasures they might discover and build something for today and for their tomorrows. They had that innocent excitement, kind of like my two guys on the floor, willing to look, unpack and then invest in what would satisfy their quest. I looked at my trains a bit differently when I finally got home. And I hope that I will hunger to have that heart of a child when it comes to wanting to be close to this Jesus and discovering more of the treasure he is each day. And I think he would want that for you and for me each day as we continue our journey on planet earth. Here's our Bible verse for today...
Mark 10:14-16 NLT When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. (15) I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (16) Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
Remember I'm praying for you!
With love, PJ
Mark 10:14-16 NLT When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. (15) I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (16) Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
Remember I'm praying for you!
With love, PJ