June 26 - Anonymous Sinner

"Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me." (Matthew 18.5) Jesus Christ also goes on to say the strict penalty if we don't. As adults, children watch our every move and expression, but even more daunting, or enlightening, is that they repeat many of the things we say.

My immediate God moment is enlightening (Thank God!) as my nephew's and niece-in law's 4-year-old son kept hearing the words "God thank you for this food we are about to eat" as I said grace during my frequent visits. So this last time, out of the blue while destructively roughhousing for about two hours after dinner, he stopped and said to me, who is God? So I quickly said, do you really want know? And he said yes. So I took him by the hand and walked him outside and pointed, "look there" God is the one who made that tree, and look up, God also made those stars in the sky, and yes, the amazing grass we are standing on, but mostly, you, yes, he made you, and how wonderful is God's work! Isn't it?

Then before I could elaborate further, a very loud voice that seemed to come suddenly from inside the house, and startled us both, said in a long drawl, "It's time for bed! Now! Afterwards, as his totally awesome Mom was getting him ready for bed, I could hear them both in the adjoining room faintly chit chatting about how "yes, God made all the trees" while I was having some quality time with my nephew (his Dad), all the while saying to myself wow! That was certainly a top 5 God moment for me!

More so, during my 30-minute drive home it gave me an opportunity to reflect on what had happened, and how important all the things we say around kids shape their lives in one way or another. So on a "broader level" I realized that same "God moment" also holds true for people from 4 years old to 104 years old, especially when we talk to people and introduce them to Christ for the first time. As I believe, everything did actually take place in the actual Bible, there is also the metaphoric, and illustrative views God gifts to us, to equip us as we witness to new believers, regardless of their age, knowing that they are just like little children, that our Lord requires us to receive.

Although God's wrath is severe in many of the 66 books given to us, one of the worst I think comes from Jesus Christ himself, "that we would be better off tying a 5-ton millstone around our neck, and jumping into the deepest part of the ocean, as the penalty if we do stumble one of his children" which I think is safe to say could be from 4 years old, to 104 years old. In closing, these were certainly eye-opening God moments for me, and I'm more aware than ever to try and be more sentient of my surroundings, in everything I say and do.