to welcome a child

Originally published Monday, 27 April 2015.

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5

“Welcome a child,” He says,

but I wonder if He was thinking

about nightmares every couple hours

the emotions,

the neediness – the clinging, desperate

neediness that both melts my heart and exhausts my bones.

Does He know about it all

when He says the kingdom of Heaven

is of such as these?

Because this is real and

really, is this

this

what He had in mind?

 

Dear Child, my

Child – the answer is yes.

May you be as desperate,

as needy as the one clinging to your arms.

May you recognize – will you ever

recognize? – you can do nothing without Me.

Come to me-

come crying after every nightmare of life

come skipping after every joy

come hobbling, broken, dirty with nothing

to offer Me

and I will feed you, refresh you, care for you

love you

whisper comfort over you as you sleep

bandage your ouchies

take you in and make you

Mine

because, yes, this

this

is what I had in mind.

Child of mine, seek

to find yourself in young eyes

and do not

turn away.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:1-5

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