Possibly my favorite quote in the world comes from my favorite nephew in the world (Mason Edward Stephens):
“I like the bad ones, too. You just…you just hug ’em and they aren’t bad anymore!”
I believe in the power of childlike love. Children love because they genuinely want to love others and be loved. They have no ulterior motives. There is a lot for us adults to learn from the innocent, pure love and humanity in children.
I like that quote for many, many reasons. Below you will find just a few of them:
Reason #1: Mason refuses to discount what others consider “bad ones.” How many times have I disqualified someone from my life (and subsequently, my love) because society or my goody-goody life considers them “bad”? More times than I shamefully want to admit. It’s ironic because if Jesus would have not liked the “bad ones,” I wouldn’t be saved, redeemed, free, or forgiven. It’s because Jesus likes the “bad ones, too” that I am ALIVE today, that I know my Heavenly Father.
Reason #2: Mason doesn’t want to like the “bad ones” while steering clear of them. No, Mason’s like (love) is close, it’s personal. He wants to HUG the supposed “bad ones.” (Be still my heart.) Think about that for a minute. Know anyone else who wanted to be up close and personal with the “bad ones”? I do. His name is Jesus. He didn’t go into towns and tell people from afar that He loved them. He touched the blind so they could see. He laid hands upon the lame so that they could walk. He spoke and put hands upon the possessed to drive out demons. He let the children come to Him and play. I would venture to say, I bet he liked hugging the “bad ones,” too. And He still does.
Reason #3: Mason believes that showing someone real, tangible love (such as a hug) can redeem them from being “bad.” Whoa — such a lesson for me right there. Jesus comes into our lives and establishes a personal relationship with us. Through that personal relationship that is real and intimate, we become new people. We aren’t “bad” anymore, drowning in sin. Instead, we are redeemed, living in grace. Oh what a beautiful lesson from the mouth of a five year old!
I shared my favorite quote for this reason:
I’m glad that Jesus likes the “bad ones.” I’m thankful that He looks at me and says, “You are made new because you are clothed in My love. You aren’t bad anymore. You’re forgiven. You’re special. You’re precious. You’re loved. You’re mine.”
My goal on the Race: I want to love every single person I meet as innocently, inclusively, and honestly as Mason does. I want to look at the “bad ones” as just needing to know they are loved. I want to spread the Gospel with childlike faith to everyone, no matter if society thinks they are “bad ones” or not.
I am extremely thankful that God blessed me with such a wonderful, loving, insightful little nephew. Sometimes God doesn’t speak to us through big to-dos or even quiet whispers. Sometimes, just sometimes, His words come through the mouth of a five year-old boy. Sometimes that little boy is my nephew Mason.
P.S. I still need a substantial amount of financial support to be able to go around the world loving people and telling them about the pure, everlasting love of the Father. If you want to donate to my account (which is a tax-deductible donation), you can click the “Support Me” on the left. I would really, really appreciate it! You would be blessing not only me, but also all of those God is sending me to in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, India, Nepal, Mongolia, and China. Thank-you in advance, sweet one!
