Lessons from the Littles

As a church startup, our team spends the early part of our Sunday mornings loading and unloading, then setting up, everything we need to make church happen for the day.  We load in things for kids, a coffee table, concierge, all our sound equipment, TVs, etc. 

Once that's all done, we meet together to talk about what's going to happen during our gathering, and then to pray for our time together and for the people who are going to join our conversation that day.

Our team ranges in age from almost 10 months old to--well, not 10 months!  This morning, while we're praying, I saw something that really made me pause.

The 10 month old, we'll call him L, has an older sister, four and a half (don't forget the half!) year old C.  She adores her little brother.  He, in turn, loves her.  Today, all of the adults were standing in a circle, with C sitting on a step inside the circle, and little brother in front of her on the floor.  Halfway through prayer, C decided to get up and walk to her mom, wanting the closeness of family--or maybe just getting wiggles out.

L just sat there for a second.

Then his little face got determined and he spun around, crawling quickly to the feet of his big sister... who looked down adoringly.

I was struck by this.  L knew that life without his sister, even just for that moment, wasn't good.  This little boy wanted the comfort of someone who is family, who cherishes him, and who he knows so well.  It wouldn't have done for me to pick him up--he probably would have started crying, even though I love him to pieces.  He wanted the one who he KNEW was his.

It made me think of my relationship with Jesus.  When I find myself in a situation where I can't see Jesus, do I freak out?  Do I cry because I feel alone or hurt?  Or do I spin around, catch His eye, and RUN toward Him?

I know Jesus is mine and I am His.  I know that in Him alone is my safety.  I know that without Him, I am lost. I pray that the next time I find myself in the same situation that L did, a little lost and without my Jesus, I am willing to SEEK out Jesus and sprint toward His side--because I know He is always seeking me.