Children of God

“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.” A. W. Tozer 

 We are children of God. Do we really know what that means? He gave us children so we could have a small clue of what it means to be loved by Him. Knowing that love is so important for our security in this world. When I had my kids, I got a glimpse of His love for me. When my kids had their first child I told each of them, "Now you know how much I love you." When I had grandchildren, they unlocked the door to a room buried deep inside me where a little dirty girl with messy hair had been hiding for years. I felt the sunshine on my face like never before. I have twirled in the yard with two precious little girls and driven hot wheels on the living room floor with boys of different ages and imaginations. They mess me up.

Whether we have children of our own or not, there is something about a little child that can melt a heart of steel. Grown men get goofy. Beth Moore said one time to imagine God looking down on us trying to get us to smile like we do with babies. I get a picture of a grumpy man given a task he doesn't feel like completing or an exhausted woman at the end of the day. If God were to look down and in the silly voice we all get when we talk to babies, say, "C'mon, give me a smile. You can do it. Just a little smile," We would be grinning like little kids. It makes me laugh thinking about it.

I have this way of dealing with people, I call it a gift, and of course I forget to use it at times. I look at other adults as kids. We are all kids inside these grown up bodies. There is a man I work with who can't keep his paperwork straight. When I see him walking sometimes I can picture him in the third grade with all his papers falling out of his peechee and he's always smiling. It warms my heart to him and I could almost hug him. How about the woman singing behind you in church totally off key? Picture her as a little girl riding in the back seat of Jesus' car, singing over the radio, totally unaware of the world around her. Jesus is smiling.

I stood next to my mom and step-dad in church one Sunday and they began to sing the song, Forever Reign. I saw my step-dad get excited, which doesn't happen often and he said, "I love this song." When I heard the words, "Running to your arms" I got this picture of him running into the arms of a huge Jesus and it choked me up. He had always been "A Man" in my world, a father figure, not a vulnerable child. I saw him in a whole new light, with a whole new respect and I can't listen to that song without seeing him running with that smile on his face, right up into the arms of Jesus. I know he's "MAN" enough to handle me sharing this story he has never heard. We are all children, even dads.

Some of us lose touch with that kid in us. Through abuse or maybe being forced to grow up faster than we should because of the death of a parent or something of that nature, we lose touch. We can't let go. We become over achievers or observers of others who dare live. I had a friend years ago who insisted on being a kid at times. One of the best times we had was jumping on the trampoline in a rain storm. It was hard for me at first, but I figured it out and let go. My kids all stood inside watching us through the window like we had lost our minds.

We all want to let go, let loose, but it can be scary. I watch my grand kids and I can almost see them as adults. My oldest granddaughter gets a little bossy but the next in line granddaughter is very quietly running the show. My grandson who is six told his mom the other day, I want to ride in grandma's car, because she has an Awesome God in her car." My daughter was confused until I explained; we listen to a countrified version of Awesome God and my grandson sings like we all should, with total abandon. I get jealous, because I don't sing. His head moves from side to side and his face wrinkles up all serious and I smile.

We should all be secure enough in His love to be a child in His presence. I rode with my daughter to pick my grandson up from school and he was so super excited when he saw me. After he got into the car and buckled, she asked him, "Are you glad grandma came with me to pick you up?" He answered as sure of himself as we all should be, "Yes mommy, because she loves me soooooo much." My first thought was that I hope and pray each one of my grand kids knows I love them with everything in me. Second thought, we all want to be secure in knowing we are loved. We are loved more than we can accept, than we can imagine, than we can grasp.

There is a woman I know who married a man with two boys. Their mother disappeared on them. This woman took those kids in like they were hers. They are hers. I know it, because her eyes light up like only a mother's can when she talks about them. God had a plan for those boys and for that mother. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:17-19

Next time you feel like God forgot you, watch a little kid. Whether they are sleeping, playing or even pitching a fit, when your heart swells, picture Jesus looking at you that way. Then let go and dance in the rain like only He is watching.


 “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, we are like ignorant children who want to continue making mud pies in a slum because we cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” dje C.S. Lewis