Oh, Little Eyes, What Do You See?
To start off our very first devotional, I chose a subject that is close to my heart.
Have you ever watched a child? Sometimes it’s like a nature documentary with wild baboons running through the savannah, howling and fighting! Perhaps you catch a child as he or she sleeps. They look so peaceful, don’t they? They can go from a playroom thrashing banshee to a perfect angel, and we love them all the while.
Have you ever watched a child as they learn, and wondered how they are processing what was said or what lies before them? My daughter August, who is still learning the concept of language and numbers, had a very funny and unforgettable conversation with my wife. Auggie decided to try on mommy’s shoes, which are clearly many sizes too large. Upon seeing this, Evie said, “Auggie, those shoes are too big for you and that’s why they keep falling off.” Our little girl then looked at her mommy and asked with eyes wide, “shoes big big?” Confused, my wife had to pause for a moment to understand why Auggie said what she said. You see, as Auggie is learning numbers, she did not differentiate between, “too” (as in too big) and “two” (as in the number). So when August was told the shoes were “two big,” she thought that the word “big” was to be repeated for each shoe she was wearing.
It’s heartwarming and precious. This is the kind of story that brings a smile to your face, no matter who you are.
As children learn and grow, they watch the people around them and it’s up to all of us, as a church, to participate as a village in raising the children around us. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
As a church family who hopes to expand, and thereby see more children filling the pews and the nursery, let’s remember our God-given responsibility to to be intentional in how we act, speak and carry ourselves. Afterall, what little eyes see, they tend to replicate. It’s the privilege of each man and woman to be a person that children can replicate.
Prayer: Lord, as we seek to expand the ministries of First Congregational Church, we ask You to go before us. We wish to remain in Your will, and we know that it is not by our own power the church will grow. Teach us to love, teach us to lead, teach us to worship You. Amen.
