Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Preschoolers and Jesus

This fall, God blessed me with the opportunity to oversee our church's Mother's Day Out program. It has been a wonderful experience and I am really enjoying my work. The families have all been nice and the teachers are fantastic to work with, but my favorite aspect is being around these little people.

The program is designed for those who still count their age by month all the way to pre-k. While overseeing all of the classrooms doesn't allow me to be too involved with any of the classes too much, I love being in the rooms and around the children as much as I can.

It occurred to me during one of these random, drop-in, visits of mine that Jesus was once four years old.

Especially at Christmas we all think of Him as that precious infant, newly born sleeping peacefully for the adoring shepherds as the angels sang. We might even picture Him at about two when we think the wise men may have dropped in for their visit. Then later we think of him at about 13 when He was left in the temple as his parents headed back home. But what about all that time in between?

The Bible doesn't give us any details, but we know that He had to go through all those developmental stages and growth milestones. Being around preschoolers this fall has given me a deeper appreciation for those everyday, growing-up human moments that He had to experience.

Did He like to play with blocks? Did He run around His earthly father's carpenter shop? Did He giggle a three-year old giggle? Oh, and how do you suppose He reacted to the wise men and their very grown-up gifts? I am sure His little preschool mind could begin to comprehend what He was supposed to do with Myrrh!

God faithfully speaks to my heart in a new way each December. The "old" story is transformed into "new" somehow. This Christmas I find myself again amazed that the Almighty would humble Himself to become, not just a needy, helpless baby, but also an inquisitive and inquiring preschooler.

If you haven't already, ask Him to show you something "new" spiritually this Christmas. Maybe even take some time to watch a preschooler and let yourself wonder what Jesus would have been like as a two-year old. I am sure it wasn't "terrible" at all. In fact, I am pretty sure He was pretty "terrific!"

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