The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These

It has been a LONG time since I've written about the precious baby boy named John (now affectionately known by all as "JJ," whom God brought to my husband John and me for day care. That beloved little guy is about to turn three years old!  Words cannot express what a gift he has been to us, especially in the midst of my husband's journey with Dementia.  With little ones there is no Dementia; there is no skin color, there is no gender confusion, there is just a bubbling, happy desire to play and greet everyone and LOVE without discrimination.  

Do you remember the old musical "South Pacific?" It incuded a song about this and here are the lyrics to that song, which has been resonating in my spirit lately:
You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
 
Today the temperature really rose for the first time this summer so we got out the little kiddie swimming pool and enjoyed playing and splashing with JJ.  His continuous, contagious laughter filled our afternoon and I couldn't stop thinking how blessed we are to have a three-year-old who calls us Nana and Papa John (even though we are not really grandparents) and who fiercely loves us as if we were!  A child doesn't know who is in his family tree. A child just knows he is loved - and boy, does he love us back!  

In the first month of his life we got the news that his paternal grandmother had passed away from cancer.  Now his other grandmother's life is being threatened by kidney disease. and her husband is in assisted living. He is so very young to lose his grandparents and never get to learn from them and experience their love.  But God!  The Word says that He "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6). I have always cherished that verse, knowing that Jesus Himself modeled it for us when his disciples told Him, "Your mother and brothers are outside," referring to his blood relations; but He replied, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers? For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50). He was illustrating for them and for us that God will place us in spiritual families who will love us with HIS love and walk with us on this faith journey.  

It was time to lift JJ out of the little pool, wrap his soaked body in a towel and bring him inside to dry off.  As I was changing his clothing I scratched at a red welt on my leg and said to him, "Ouch! A bug bit my leg and it hurts!"  He stopped the frolicking and rolling on the bed, drew very near to me, his small hands cradling my face, and with a tone of deep compassion he said, "Oh Nana, I'm SO SORRY!"  Then he put those little arms around my neck and hugged me very tight, wanting so much to make my bug bite all better.  I was undone!  It was such a genuine, God-given love that he shared with me.  And all I could think of was the time that Jesus' disciples basically told him to send the children away, and He rebuked them.  Luke 18:15-17:  
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Oh, little JJ, you demonstrated the pure Kingdom of God toward me today!  Your face showed such deep concern for me and your embrace caused His love to explode all around me!  You have not been taught to hate; hopefully you never will be taught such things as prejudice, or God forbid, "Critical Race Theory." JJ is simply pouring back the love into me that I have poured into him, and he understands the Kingdom of God in a way that I probably lost a long, long time ago.  But I am moved to strive toward receiving the Kingdom like this almost-three-year-old, who has given not only love, but purpose and meaning to both John and me, in a very powerful way.