My grandson found a tiny garter snake in the church the other afternoon.
“Where did you find him?” I asked, as he . . .
let it slip back and forth through his hands.
“Just outside the nursery,” he replied.
Well that makes sense, I thought smiling, it was a baby.
When I told a few of the other workers who came in about the little guy, no one smiled at my joke. Baby snake – nursery? Their minds stalled on the word snake and everything else was lost. Mostly they reacted with apprehension. The children on the other hand were excited. One boy asked if he could name it, which he promptly did. There is now a snake named Dave living outside of the building, at least I hope he’s out there.
It made me think about what Jesus said about little children.
“Unless you become as a little child you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven,” He said. He didn’t mean acting childish. Rather, he was emphasizing that little children are open and ready to believe. They call out for help when they need it and are not cynical about life. How lovely to live with openness toward the One who calls Himself, the truth. That makes it possible to receive what God intends to give.
