Learning from the little ones...

I will never forget an experience I had when I was living in Austria six years ago. I was working in a Kindergarten, and I used to sit in the "cosy corner" with the children and read them stories. Five or six of them would pile in for storytime and we'd work our way through book after book after book. One day, one of the little girls, who was 6 at the time, picked the Easter story. I think it had been on display because it was that time of year...

I opened up the familiar story and began to read. I only stopped when I got to the part about Jesus dying and I heard a little gasp beside me. I looked down, and Raphaela had tears in her eyes. She was all welled up and in broken english said "but that happens not! Jesus die not!" For her little mind, the main character in a story always wins... is always OK in the end. Good always overcomes evil. I looked down at Raphaela and realised, with a sinking heart, that what had caused such a reaction in a child had become over-familar and inneffective in my own heart. But the best was yet to come. I turned the page and read about Jesus rising from the dead. I'm not joking when I say the joy on her little face is a picture I will not forget for as long as I live...

Every day, when we read Ava her Bible, she has a little look of excitement on her face. She is too young to realise that this book is special... and yet she reacts to it totally differently to any other book we read her. With all other books, she will reach for them and put them straight into her mouth, and if you won't let her, she'll get frustrated and throw a hissy fit... but not the Bible... when we read her her Bible, she just gets so excited! It's lovely to watch. I just pray that excitement and wonder will continue as she grows...

Jesus says; "whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4, The Bible)

I think we have a lot to learn from these little ones...