Matthew 19:14
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 we first began to hammer out our ministry schedules here, I dismissed going to the nursery. The nursery seemed well-staffed, and the love I could wrap around one of those babies was just as good in the arms of one of their caretakers. Going there would be more a ministry to me than to them. Therefore, I scheduled my time elsewhere, the places I could use my expertise, the places I thought I could really be useful.
Then, we were informed that, due to adjustments in staffing, the nursery was extremely short-handed. So, we all came together to map out which shifts we would pick up. I am scheduled to be in the nursery every Tuesday and Thursday.
I can't really explain it, but I'm captivated. These children melt my heart. I want to be there even when I'm not scheduled to be. I want to check in on them at random opportunities. I want to bring every single one of them into my life, raise them, watch them grow. I don't want to miss a single moment.
I'd hate to admit that I feel this way because I'm a woman, like I'm embracing my inner mother. So I won't, for now anyhow. I'll go with the words of Jesus and realize that these little things are the holders of the Kingdom. It belongs to them, and I just want to be as close to the Kingdom as possible.
Here's a little glimpse of heaven. . .
Kenth: his new habit cuts to the core of me. When we prepare to leave, we say, "Bye, Kenth," and he responds, "Noooooooooo." And you have to pull his little hands from around your fingers.
Princess Eunice. Yeah, she knows how cute she is, and demands the due respect.
One of my squadmates, Marian, with Kenth, Princess, Chris John, and Ralph lying in her lap.
Chris John: the smartest boy in the world! Nothing melts my heart more than reading the children's Bible with him and hearing, in his small little voice, "Tita, Jesus died on a cross!"
Jacob. I love them all, but he and I have a particular connection. It's almost unkind that I only get him for one month.
Swinging outside with curly-haired RJ, Jacob, and baby girl, Alex.
Little baby Cedric. He's 1 year old, but entirely too small for his age. When his family brought him to the children's home, he was close to death, but KIM hospitalized him and brought him back to life. He's healthy and doing well. Cedric is technically up for adoption, but his family will still visit him from time to time. He's the heartthrob survival story around that place.
Finally, I just had to capture this one on video. Little RJ, with all his glorious curls, eating his lunch with a spoon that is much too big for him. . .
