Innocence of Children

Do you see the gift that children bless us with?

A favorite ❤️

The gifts that children offer to the world are endless. Laughter, joy, and mostly unconditional love are ways that children bless our lives. The endless ability to love and not hold onto a grudge allows children to shine brightly with joy and live at peace trusting good parents to care for them.

Two days ago, I was outside in the morning with my dog for his morning outing. Across the parking lot, I hear a little girl saying to her little brother, who was a fairly new walker, "I love you, I love you!" This care-free act of encouragement and reassurance is a gift that all parents hope this world will not tarnish.

As we age, the ability to overcome selfish desires and let go of supposed attacks against our egos causes some to harden their hearts out of protection of their own feelings. This act closes the window a little more every time he or she absorbs someone else's need to express their own needs, to allow forgiveness and love to remain in his or her hearts. This world longs to steel our joy, laughter and ability to love. Do your best every single day to remember where that gift of love comes from!

As Jesus walked through the street of Jerusalem near the last days of His life, He freely healed those who were blind and lame. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were threatened by the wonderful things that Jesus did. They did not like hearing what the children shouted in the temple courtyards, "Hosanna to the Son of David." They asked Jesus if he heard what these kids were saying, because it threatened them. He answered, "Yes."

If only we never lost the innocence of childhood and allowed praise, encouragement and love to flow freely with our mouths and our hearts to remain open to love and forgive others. This is what we are called to do. Jesus told us that "we are to love our neighbors, as ourselves."

"Yes." replied Jesus, 'have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants, you, Lord, have called forth your praise?'"

-Matthew 21: 16