Sharing Jesus brings me joy. Period. Sharing Jesus with children brings laughter, struggles, and beautiful insight.
You never know what children are going to say when you ask a question to a large group. Their boldness and naiveness often bring laughter. The laughter may have to be kept within when I hear them respond to a question or comment because my mind is saying, “did they really just say that out loud?” Y’all, if you don’t want your littles to share your crazy life, then maybe don’t be so crazy in front of them. They have no filter. Sometimes.
I do struggle at times when presenting God’s word to kids. My thoughts can go deep and examples are more mature than they can handle, so careful thinking, planning, and maybe even the Holy Spirit putting His hand over my mouth at times is needed. I get the precious opportunity to lead a large group of kindergarten through second graders on Wednesday evenings. There have been times I walk away saying, “Lord, what am I doing here? Do you really want me to continue preparing and sharing with these children?” Somehow, God shows me that He has me right where He wants me. I am to trust in Him. An unexpected hug from a little one, whom I may not even know, warms my heart. Kids can be so encouraging when they come up and share a related story to what was shared or they tell me they love me. They ARE listening. They ARE learning something about Jesus. Okay, Lord, I’ll continue to do what YOU want me to do.
Remember when I said the children are bold and naive? Well…maybe they aren’t so naive, yet full of insightful wisdom. They amaze me with their mature, yet simple, answers to what adults would answer with a theological response. Oh to have the faith of a child. They truly are precious in His sight, and in mine as well.
Okay, so I rambled on just to say that I recently shared the story of Samuel and Eli from 1 Samuel 3. I gave background on the first two chapters before having them be interactive with me during the story time of chapter 3. When I read 1 Samuel 2:18, during preparation time, those words just had to be shared with this group of fun and insightful children. It says, “But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD.”
I’ve often shared the phrase with you, “no matter the age or the stage”. This verse can apply to any of us. We can (need to) serve the Lord at any age and any stage in life. When I asked this group of about sixty children how they can serve the Lord, here are some responses:
- Pray for others
- Listen to Christian music
- Read the bible
- Share Jesus with others
HELLO!!! Y’all! We can definitely learn from the insightful wisdom from these precious children.
I want to encourage you to serve the Lord by doing what those kids said in their responses. And looking back at what I wrote above, let’s all try to:
- Be mindful of our words and actions. You never know what little eyes may be watching, or big eyes. Note to self, God is always watching. Put a smile on His face.
- If you are struggling with something God called you to do, hang in there and hang on to Him. You are where you are for a purpose. Bloom where you are planted and always seek guidance for God.
- Listen to children. They are wiser than you think, and they will keep you on your toes.
Lord, thank You for Your word. Help us to seek You daily and to read those words You breathed onto the pages. Help us to have the faith of a child and to share You with others. Amen.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
*Featured photo: These are two of my great nephews. The eldest, Jude, is one of the most godly people (not just kids) you’ll meet. Such a heart for God.
