All Those Kids

“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them: for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all,” and He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” 

Mark 10:13-16

From the time I was three years old, I was a dropped off kid at church.  My parents were not church people and only went inside for weddings and funerals.  They did not contributed to the church except for the pies my mother donated to church dinners, which we as a family never attended.  No one ever said anything to me about my AWOL parents and I never remember feeling like I was unwanted or out of place.  I was welcomed.  The church went out of the way to help me along.  People picked me up and drove me to church events.  When I went to summer camp, the church paid a big share of the cost, and not just for me, but for all the kids.

The church shaped my thinking, my life and my faith.  Had the church been an exclusive club catering only to its members’ kids, I would have been left out.  I wasn’t left out, I was embraced and I found Jesus. 

And, for this I am thankful.