Here is the biggest knucklehead in the world — Penny Packer, our 1 year old Lab. While she is beginning to look like she is leaving puppyhood behind and transitioning into adulthood let me tell you… looks can be deceiving! I was hoping at this point she would at least be in “teenage” phase, but nope — she is a raging toddler. This dog loves to SHRED anything and everything! Why? Apparently BECAUSE IT WAS THERE!
She treats cardboard like it is the Devil himself. Turn your back for a moment and she has found and shred enough cardboard to make confetti for New Year’s Eve in Times Square! A few days ago she dug into a large pot on our deck where we had planted all of our basil for cooking. Why? I already told you… BECAUSE IT WAS THERE!
A couple of weeks ago I returned home from church and let her out the front door to go potty, and of course at the bottom of our yard there were two ducks in the ditch swimming around — because it had rained for the last 40 days. Penny bolted down the yard after those ducks like she had been shot from a cannon. Of course the ducks just flew away… right up the ditch alongside the road… the ditch that had turned into a mud bog. Did Penny care she was in a mud bog ditch? No, she did not. Finally, after I had hollered her name about 10 times she came running back to me — covered in mud from the chest down. Then, she proceeded to jump up on me in my church clothes. Where is my gun… ok… I am just kidding.
Oh Penny! She is still all puppy. And despite the antics, she is loved by our family — especially after 10PM when she crashes hard. But what can you really expect, right? She is just one year old… and it will take a bit more time for her to develop that quiet dignity of a Labrador Retriever (please Lord, let her get there).
It’s easy to lose patience with anything that hasn’t reach maturity yet. Remember Jesus’ disciples? “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” Matthew 19:13-15 NIV
Jesus’ disciples were probably only trying to look out for Jesus. Children can be demanding and have little sense of social awareness, and crowds were also constantly demanding his attention, but in this little story we see the heart of the Savior for children. He placed his hands on them — that means that he blessed them — and he prayed for them. Children blessed and prayed over by the Creator and King of Kings — Wow. Don’t miss Jesus’ affirmation of children… “for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
This week our church building at 224 will be filled with children — and I am so excited for what God is going to do. Would you consider joining me in praying today through Thursday for our Vacation Bible School program? Pray that our workers will love kids well and for opportunities for them to share the love of Jesus; and pray that children this week will enter the kingdom of heaven by giving their lives to Jesus. There is just something special about a child’s heart… oh, I know, they sometimes do frustrating things and act like… well… children. But never forget how special they are to Jesus.
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