Sit by me!
The truths of “Jesus Loves the Little Children” were among the first lessons I learned as a child. The message that Jesus loves all the children of the world is a precious one. The wise parent teaches her child that truth. She also takes the lesson to a deeper level by helping her child know that Jesus loves him or her individually.
Jesus taught that lesson in His three parables in Luke 15: the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. In each parable, someone had lost just one thing. Neither the shepherd with one missing sheep, the woman with one missing coin, or the father with one missing son had lost everything. Each one still had sheep or coins or a son, but each one was in agony over the loss of just one.
At Notty and Little Camp last weekend, I heard three precious words again and again from grandchildren. When meal time came, . . .
. . . one or more children said to me, “Sit by me!” It wasn’t enough simply to be at the table with the family. They wanted to be noticed and loved individually.
Don’t we all? As a mama, you have the precious opportunity to demonstrate God’s love for each of your children. You can give each one the cherished gift of your undivided personal attention.
The shepherd in Luke 15 left 99 sheep and searched until he found one lost sheep. This is what Jesus said about God’s love for one of His precious children:
I tell you that in the same way,
there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons
who need no repentance.
Luke 15