Lessons From a "Child"

Luke 18:15-17

15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little ^achildren to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

I started this post some time ago. Today I was once again taught by someone younger, and decided to go ahead and share it.

I love to learn from children, or even just from young people.

10/27/09

Yesterday, I was looking at the rock that Gabriel thought was awesome and had to laugh. How many times have we all picked up a rock and handed it to our parent to hold, until they say no more . . . so we put into our pocket, because after all, it is pretty and shouldn't be cast aside. When do we all of a sudden decide that they are no longer pretty?

Next Day

Yesterday, while Garrett was here, he kept on going to the china cupboard and just stood looking in. It is full of Nativities in the bottom shelf. For the last few weeks, I have caught him sneaking into it and moving the pieces around. He wuvs Chwisamus and has been pretty excited about all the lights and decorations in the stores already. Such torture for a three year old!

The last night he came across the baby Jesus from our Little People Nativity. His eyes were so big when he came to me and asked, "Nanny! what's this?" He said he didn't know, when

I asked hi

m what he thought it was. The grin and shining eyes gave him away. I am so thankful that baby Jesus makes eyes light up at least as much as the paganisms does.

Then later as I was jumping around on the internet, I checked my blog to check the side bar and see who had been on since the morning, I saw Carolyn in one of the pictures and remembered how sweet she was the night of Valerie's reception. All of the attendants stayed after to help take the canopy down and all wound up, along with all the strands of lights. very impressive. We used to all load up in a car and go downtown to Bob's Big Boy restaurant in our wedding get ups, head gear and all. We could hardly wait to see the looks we got, probably no where near what we thought they were! Not these kids, they pitched in and were very pleasant about it.

After they all left, I thought, I looked around there was Carolyn and Alex. Still going to town finding where to pack up each item so that it would be right. We kept working and working, so did they. Finally it was time to start taking it out and loading it up. Alex offered to take a load in his cute little truck to make it faster. Out they went and then back for another load. By that time it was past 11:30 and Jon sent me home while he waited so that Norma wouldn't be alone in a deserted church. He came home at 12:30 am, after the kids and Paul had come back and loaded up the last of the goodies.

The next day at the U-1 Ward, Carolyn came up to me and thanked me for staying until everything was done. I don't think she knew I had helped put it all up. Such a funny little gal, and she is tiny, but only in stature. She is an amazing person. I'm naughty, I didn't tell her it was part of my job description that night so she just thinks I'm a nice ole' lady ;-)

All of this happened in just a couple of hour's time. It was then that the scripture in Luke came to my mind, and stayed there into the night.

11/1/09

Today, I heard Tara talking behind me in Relief Society. I had to turn around as she talked. This is what I saw her showing the girls around her.

How many of us would have turned around and gone back home? Not her! She came on, she knew where she belonged and she was going to keep her baptismal commitments to the Savior. She came on to church to take the sacrament, renew her covenants and partake of

the Spirit that would be there as others shared their testimonies.

So different from a girl I met years (45, yikes) ago. We were discussing just what "keeping the Sabbath Holy" meant. One girl piped up saying that we shouldn't shop on Sunday except in an emergency. We all agreed until she added, " like the day I got a run in my pantyhose and had to get new ones." You could've heard a pin drop in that meeting < :-0 Now this was in the day when you absolutely did not show up on Sunday without nylons on, but still, we were

all pretty amazed. Then today there was Tara, with her mismatched shoes . . . . with her priorities in line, not taking herself too seriously, or at least her shoes. This girl is no slouch, she loves her clothes, but she loves the Savior more.

I love the young, I love their enthusiasm, I love their love for life, I love their eyes when you see so much passion for their causes, families, friends, the church, for their faith when it refuses to waver as they seek their way in a world that makes so little sense so much of the time.

I hope we can all remember to look to the young, even the ones who are grown, they have so much to teach us.