| My grandson, Grayden, at Natural History Museum |
I'm exhausted this morning. And I have a smile on my face. The past two days I've been studying at the feet of a master teacher: my oldest grandson, Grayden. We enjoyed a day at the Cleveland Natural History Museum, watched the movie Brave, ate at a Chinese restaurant we picked at random off my smart phone, read books together, ate a picnic lunch together, and played a never ending game of Pretend, where I was always the bad guy.
Jesus taught, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). I am most grateful for these past couple of days. In my dedication to work this summer, I had almost forgotten to be like a little child. Grayden reminded me of 3 important "becoming child-like" lessons.
| The universe is wondrous to Grayden |
#1 - The Lesson of Wonder. Everything is wondrous to a child. Every exhibit we saw at the Natural History Museum held endless fascination for Grayden. He would point, stare, read, talk, and ask questions. I had forgotten the wonder of our world around us. The largeness of the universe. The smallness of cellular biology. The grandness of the Earth's tetonic plates. The infinitesimalness of Earth compared to other planets, the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe! Life is so amazing and is deserving of my continuous fascination. When did I become such a big deal that I lost the wonder of God's creation?
Lesson #2 - The Lesson of Trust. The first thing Grayden did the two mornings he woke up at my house was to come look for me. He knew I would be there. He trusted me to provide for him. He was relaxed and comfortable around me. I realized that somewhere along the road to adulthood I replaced my trust in my own heavenly Father with a healthy dose of religion. My Bible study is important, but the most important thing about my Christian faith is my relationship with my heavenly Father. Grayden never wavered in his trust that I would never leave or forsake him. When did I stop looking for my heavenly Father each time my eyes opened in the morning?
| Grayden climbs atop a dinosaur. |
Lesson #3 - The Lesson of Play. Grayden never stopped playing. In his learning, he played. In his spare moments, he played. In his playtime, he played. I think even in his dreams, he played. This is a lesson known by many names. The lesson of fun. The lesson of joy. The lesson of imagination. When this grandpa ran out of structured, planned activities, Master Teacher Grayden took over. Badminton rackets became weapons, then just as suddenly became hypnotic devices that could make the captured prisoner do anything suggested. (The racket had to be played like a guitar while the sheriff sang his commands!) God did not give us this grand life to be endured! When did I become so serious? When did my work become so important?
Jesus always had a special place in his ministry for children. He told his disciples to never keep the children from him. And now I think I know why. Multiple times yesterday Grayden stood next to me while I tried to work, asking if I was ready to hang out with him? I wonder how often in my efforts to serve God, I have ignored his urging to just be with Him? I am so grateful for these three lessons from my grandson these last two days. I planned this time so that I could become closer to Grayden. Now I know that my heavenly Father planned this time so I could become closer to Him.
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