But Jesus called the children to Him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
A few Sundays ago, our pastor was away but another had graciously agreed to fill in for him.
Sunday School had just ended and, being the last one to leave the classroom, I turned off the light and closed the door behind me.
I looked down the hallway just in time to see our visiting pastor step into the men's room.
He was tall, had a beard and wore a long flowing white vestment.
I made my way to the main hallway that leads to the sanctuary and noticed that a small crowd had gathered in the intersection.
The center of attention was a five year old boy rambling excitedly about something.
"What is he talking about?", someone asked.
His sister replied, "He thinks he saw Jesus."
A few people laughed, probably assuming the little boy simply had an overactive imagination.
Having been a five year old boy myself I remembered how it felt to have people dismiss what you had to say simply because of your age.
I really had to appreciate the corner into which he seemingly had painted himself.
I decided to come to his aid.
"I saw him, too," I replied.
The boy smiled.
Was he smiling because I came to his aid?
Was he smiling out of relief because now I was the focal point of attention?
I got some really priceless looks.
One look clearly said, "Well, it looks like the Other Brother Jim finally went off the Other Deep End."
I explained that what the boy had actually seen was our visiting pastor and then described his appearance.
I gave the boy a parting smile which he returned and then made my way toward the sanctuary.
An older gentleman walked beside me and said, "You really understand these young people, don't you?"
"I should." I replied. "After all, I used to be one."
As we walked along, I thanked God for letting me feel young from time to time.
I pray that never changes.
Life can be full of surprises if you allow yourself to see the world and others through the eyes of a child once in a while,
The Other Brother Jim
NEXT TIME...
"The Unwanted Picture"
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