Holding our grandson
Timothy born on November 25th close on my chest warmed my heart. The
Creator of life bestows such amazing trust. Timothy is a mystery of
promise placed into human hands. Tiny Tim is fragile and needy He
is a precious endowment of talent placed in our lap.
What awesome
capability is poured into 7 pounds and 11 ounces. Timothy will
develop unique abilities as he is cherished and nurtured. We are
enriched and renewed by his presence. His physical size is small but
his capacity to do wonderful things is large.
There is
responsibility ingrained with the trust of a new person given to us.
We are losers if we don't perceive the worthiness of children. If we
are too busy to invest our time and money in children we miss out on
the opportunity of a life time. When we experience wonder in the
presence of a new baby we are enabled to respond with reverence.
In Christmas we
celebrate Jesus. He came to us vulnerable and fragile. He came with
a birth weight. He was blessed to have Joseph and Mary who recognized
his special nature and invested themselves in giving him protection
and moral guidance.
The birth of Jesus
instructs us to consider the noble bearing of each child. Rabbi
Jesus had special respect for children. He cherished kids in a
society that devalued them. When his disciples pushed aside parents
who wanted their babies to be blessed Jesus was angry. He granted
the parents' desire to bestow honor.
What is our
attitude towards children? Rabbi Jesus said, “Whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And
whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. “
Matthew 18:4-5. It is easy in our adult world to overlook the
dignity of children. We neglect children if we do not understand
their great value.
A valid way to
celebrate Christmas is to give kindness, generosity, and wise care
to children he has placed in our life. We receive Jesus into our
life by welcoming with awe the little ones He places under our
influence .
What does it mean
to give welcome? To listen to a chlid's dreams encourages him to
believe there is a future of hope. To encourage constructive
abilities is to create confidence she can make a positive
contribution in society. To take time to be fully present shows a
child he is worthy of attention. Kids perceive quickly when they
are considered a treasure or viewed as mere “rug rats” in the way
of adult routines.
I was awe-struck
when I held Timothy. The grandeur of his presence moved my soul
beyond words. May we all respond reverently to such latent greatness
wrapped in birth weight.
We receive the
Christ Child anew when we help children in poverty in the Ozarks. A
generous gift to Crosslines will help a food insecure child to know
he is not forgotten.
