My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12
Every Tuesday morning at our church begins with Chapel. On one side of the sanctuary sits 50 children in our Mother’s Day Out and their teachers, on the other, 81 children from our Day School and their teachers. Now and then a few parents might hang out just to see what happens. And in the front of the room is our staff (both pastors, our youth/family person, our music director, and the children’s music director.)
As soon as Chapel is done and every kid got a hug, handshake, or high five on the way back to their classrooms, it is soon time for our staff meeting. We spend the rest of Tuesday mornings checking in, planning, and sometimes dreaming about the future that God is creating around us.
We take turns telling the story at Chapel. Yesterday was my turn. The schedule said that I needed to teach about the Ten Commandments…to 81 children, ages five down to toddlers… This is a challenge for me. I think the ability to communicate well with little children is a gift that I probably don’t have. But it was my turn so I got up in the aisle and began with the customary, “Good morning boys and girls.”
I looked at those children for a few brief seconds without talking. I just looked at them. And it occurred to me how much each of those children are loved. How deeply, desperately, passionately, those children are loved. How it feels to their parents when they pick them up, hold them, comfort them. How much it hurts their parents when they fall and get the little cuts, scrapes, and boo-boo’s that are the inevitable scars of learning, growing, and dealing with life.
And there they were. All entrusted to the care and keeping of a staff of a Christian congregation. A place dedicated to living and sharing the love of God with a world that far too often seems to be mindlessly chasing idols, bent on self destruction, cold, and devoid of meaning and purpose. Yet it is our Father’s world, his handiwork, his love.
My next words were, “How many of you have rules in your classrooms?”
It doesn’t much matter what I said next. The only thing that matters is that I was able to see the connection between the discipline of God and the love of God. That life isn’t nearly as complicated as we make it. That we don’t need a manual or a consultant or a panel of experts to know how to do the next right thing.
We just need to know how deeply we are loved…and then to act out of that with love for others.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, your patience with us is amazing. Your love, astounding. Your wisdom, so close, so simple, so challenging. We welcome your discipline for we need it. We welcome the brick walls we run into as they redirect our steps toward life. We are your children, guide us, and pick us up when we fall. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
November 13, 2013 at 9:14 pm |
Just returned from a week with our youngest grandsons – 5 & 4, who attend a church pre-school to 8 program. Great insight, Kerry and wise words!