"Help or Hinder"
November 15, 2016
But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Mark 10:14
I know it's a bit late for Halloween stories, but these from our readers are worth hearing.
Store one is the story of Cailynn Richards, a four-year-old girl who lives in the Indiana community of New Castle. She was totally pumped for trick-or-treating. Sadly, it never happened. Before she could go through the community she was attacked by the neighbor's dog. Although okay, she was held overnight at the hospital.
When she awoke, she was upset to hear Halloween had passed her by.
Rather than letting disappointment stand, some New Castle folks fixed things. They got costumed up, stood on 12th St., and gave candy to the little girl. Good job, New Castle!
Story two is of another little girl who, on Halloween, had to fly with her father from Boston to San Francisco. Like Richards, this girl -- due to no fault of her own -- was also going to miss the candy collection.
Understanding her disappointment, dad took charge.
He brought his daughter's donut costume on the plane and gave candy along with a note, to his fellow flyers. The note asked they drop the candy into his daughter's bucket when she came trick-or-treating down the aisle.
The people on the plane were glad to help and his daughter beamed from ear-to-ear. Good job, dad!
Story three: Many of our congregation's children will soon begin rehearsing for the children's Christmas service. That service, one of the best attended, is a great way for the young ones to learn how God's Son came to save us from our sins. That's the good news.
Here's the bad news. Almost every congregation has children who are never brought to a practice. Even so, they show up the night of the presentation expecting to participate.
From experience I can tell you it doesn't take too long before they get embarrassed. They don't know what to do or when to do it. They don't know the songs or the Scriptures. It's the kind of embarrassment that can drive the children away from their Redeemer.
So what do these stories have in common? Easy, they all feature children who are loved. In the first two, the parents and community did everything they could to make sure their children didn't miss anything.
That is not the case for story three, but it ought to be. Daily Devotioners, if you know of some parents who don't get their children to practice, give them this devotion. Help them understand the importance of seeing the wonders of God's love and grace. Help these children go stand with the shepherds and see Jesus: God's Good News of great joy.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, like You, we all want the best for the children You have given to us. Grant that we may do all we can to introduce our young ones to the Savior, the only Person who loves them more than we. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
