Train Up a Child...

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

I've mentioned before that one mine and my husband's passions in the church is the little children.  (He LOVES to hear little children in the background while he is preaching.  He says it is music to his ears.)

In fact, a few weeks ago, Roger was preaching a sermon on little boy Samuel responding of the calling of God.  In the middle of the sermon, he walked out into the aisle and one of our one year olds, Julian, started reaching out and crying for Roger.  Roger could not stand it so he went and got him and finished his sermon, without missing a beat, holding little Julian.  Julian had been restless all morning, fighting sleep.  While in Roger's arms, he stared at him and never made a sound.

Roger also leads the music at our church.  Little Julian will stand int he seat during the song service, directing with his hands and arms.  (He is learning by example.)

I feel that earlier we teach them, the better it is.  Many times people tend to think that the little toddlers and younger preschool kids to not have a clue, but trust me, they are absorbing much more than we realize.

I have two year old in my Sunday School class that keeps me hopping; Carmen.  She can say Mrs. Kathy........but for some reason, I am Mrs. Fluffy.  (Out of the mouths of babes......)  One week she was rolling on the floor and not paying any attention to the lesson.  The lesson was about Zacchaeus.  While eating her snack, she looked at the tree on the wall and said "Jesus' in there."  I asked her where?  She said, "He is that hole.  He gonna go home with me."  SHE WAS LISTENING.  She might not get the entire story correct, but the foundation is being lain.

Another class, we were talking about Noah's Ark.  I was telling the kids that Noah was mad at the mean people, so he was going to send lots and lots of rain to kill them.  Little Carmen asked, "God mad?"  I said, "Yes, God was mad."  She looked up towards the ceiling and said, "No, no, God.  That not nice."

I say all this to say......little children are VERY important.  Even Jesus spent lots of time with little children.  I guess I have little children on the brain today because, not only do I have a passion for the children, we are expecting our first grandchild very soon.