Oh, To Be A Kid Again!

Oh, To Be A Kid Again!

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”  Matthew 19:14

“Oh to be a kid again!”  How many times have you said that?  Or heard it?  Would you like to go back to your childhood and relive all those years over again?  I had a great childhood with a wonderful school and awesome church family.  I used to answer that question with, “Yeah, I’d do it again.”  But now that I’m older, I think, “Nah, I’m too tired to start over!”  I’d rather enjoy being with and watching children play and laugh and answer their silly questions. 

Jase and I had the privilege of hosting the Daraja children’s choir of Africa this weekend at our property with a few members of our church family. They ate hot dogs and played on an inflatable water slide, the first they’ve ever seen, and they roasted marshmallows and made s’mores, which they loved!  They laughed and squealed most of the afternoon, and all us adults couldn’t have enjoyed it any more than we did.  Oh, to be a kid again. 

(When was the last time you ate a s'more?!)

Two precious little girls along with the tour leaders spent a few nights in our home.  Rosemary and Joy are ten years old with two completely different personalities, but when it was time to eat or go to bed, these girls prayed with fervor.  Their words showed us and our God how much they believe that He is real.  They also never left the table without singing us a “Thank You” song.  Every. Single. Time.  Oh, to be a kid again.

(Joy and Rosemary)

These kids are from Uganda and travel all over the United States for six months performing in churches and schools.  They leave the security of their home and family and travel thousands of miles to a country they’ve only heard about.  They are homesick at times.  Some have gotten physically sick.  Little Joy had a tooth pulled the day before they arrived in West Monroe, and she is still suffering from the pain of her body trying to heal.  Even through the pain, she never complained.  When I would ask her how she was feeling, her usual response would be (in her thick African accent),”somewhat better”.  My heart would ache for her.  Please pray for Joy.  Her name describes her very well.

(Sweet, precious Joy--please remember to pray for her.)

We sent them off this morning to start their next adventure in another town on their tour bus.  They hugged me so tight I told them I was glad my bones were strong so they couldn’t squeeze my insides out.  They laughed and squeezed even tighter.  Oh, to be a kid again.

When Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 18:3 that unless we change and become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven, I can’t help but relate that to these sweet little souls from east Africa.  They trust their tour leaders, Clinton and Shelby, completely.  Rosemary and Joy and all of the Daraja children call us Mama Missy and Papa Jase.  They trust that we will feed them, provide them a comfortable bed to sleep in and a safe home to shelter them while they visit us.  They wake with smiles and warm hugs and await their instructions on what the day holds for them.  Shouldn’t we trust our Father in the exact same way?  He takes care of our every need.  When will we learn to stop struggling so hard and let Him take care of us?  One night before bed while we surrounded our kitchen island, spunky little Rosemary shared her favorite scripture with us.  It is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  She said, “This scripture tells me that when I am hungry or tired that I should not fear because God will take care of me.”  It is also one of Mia’s favorite verses.  Oh, to be a kid again. 

If you are facing something today or this week, and you just don’t know what the answer is, try thinking like a child.  They look FIRST to their caregiver for the answer.  God, our Father, is waiting for us to ask. 

Have an adventurous week!

If you’d like to host the Daraja children’s choir in your church, school or town event, please visit www.darajachoir.org.