One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. Matthew 19:13-15

 

The humorist Franklin Jones is credited with saying, “You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.”[1]

 

In our busy, hectic world, it’s easy to push many God-given gifts aside in the name of urgency. We push aside quiet moments of rest and reflection; we push aside moments of genuine, deep connection and stillness in nature, all in the name of productivity.

 

We also push aside our children with their mundane questions and trivial games. At the height of Jesus’s popularity, a group of parents brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. The disciples deemed this too trivial for Jesus—He was important! But Jesus overheard and jumped in to intervene. Jesus knew this was the type of precious moment we’re meant to treasure, no matter how busy we seem. The Bible records Jesus saying, “‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left” (Matthew 19:15).

 

In our rushed lives, do we know which moments to value and fight for? Busy moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandparents, teachers, neighbors and friends: do we know, like Jesus, how to treasure moments of connection with the people, yes, especially the tiny people, in front of us? Will we welcome interruptions, not as distractions, but blessings? The little raised hands asking for hugs, the question about a bug or a homework assignment, are all put in perspective when we remember, as Jesus did, that we live to love.

 

[1] Compassion International. “Famous Quotes about Children.” Compassion International, Compassion International, 3 Mar. 2020, https://www.compassion.com/poverty/famous-quotes-about-children.htm.