I have seven grandchildren, all less than six years old. The youngest three will soon turn two. Even with those younger children their individual personalities and quirks are evident. Watching them grow and being a part of their lives is a joy. Mostly! It is also fascinating watching their physical growth and development of abilities.

As a grandparent I’ve been much more conscious of how amazing their existence and development is than I was as a parent. I am blessed now with much more time than I had then and perhaps a deeper perspective, and my participation is not 24/7! As a religious person I certainly see the hand of God in all of this and so much more.

Have you ever been amazed at how instantly a child can turn from apparent abject sorrow to full on joy? Have you noticed their enthusiasm? Their lack of grudge bearing? And so on.

There’s a lot to learn from these things. It brings some words of Jesus to my mind. They have a message for me.

“One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’” (Luke 18:15-17, NLT)

I aspire to be a child of God in the way I try to live; to apply the best parts of childlike behaviour to my personal growth in the sight of my God.

The Bible has so much more to say about how we should live our lives and the benefits this brings us now. And the prospect of forever. Worth a read?