Not long ago my two youngest grandsons, 4 and 9 years of age, and I were going into Rogers after spending some time out at my house in the country.
The 4-year-old is always asking questions like “Why do you live in the woods?” and related questions like “Are there any bears out here?” and I try to explain the reason in a way a 4-year-old will understand while trying to assure him that contrary to what he might see on the nature channel, not all woody areas are populated with bears.
On this particular time, instead of asking questions he just started making matter of fact statements and the first one he made immediately got my attention. He said “When you get dead, I’ll take care of your car for you and I’ll wash it and clean it out real good.”
Those who have seen or ridden in my car know it needs both. I live three miles down a dirt road and see little use in spending the time and effort to wash the car when the next time I drive out it will look just like it did before I spent the time washing it and instead of throwing coffee cups, lunch wrappers and the like out along the road like many do, I toss them in the floorboards or behind the seat and clean them out from time to time - usually when they start falling out when I open the door.
However, the youngest one’s statement quickly started a conversation between the brothers that really got interesting very quickly. The 9-year-old told his brother that it would probably be quite awhile before I “got dead” and I might not even have the same car then as I do now.
The younger replied “Yes, but I’ll still do it for you, Papa.”
I chimed in with “I’m not going anywhere until the Lord is ready for me to leave this world, and He’s taken pretty good care of me so far.” The youngest chimed in with - the tone was the same he would use if you had told him he was getting a cookie - “Oh yeah!” - the tone of which was “no doubt about that!”
I told them the doctors had told me when I was 23 that I would be lucky to live to be 25 and the oldestquickly calculated that I had lived 35 years longer than expected and asked if I had the same health problems now as I did then and I said yes, some of them, and again reiterated it was because of Jesus’ care that has kept me all those years and He would continue to watch over me in the same way and the youngest again said in the same tone, “Oh Yeah!”
As they continued talking I thought about what prompted the youngest to bring up something like that and I realized it stemmed from his desire to do something for me, who in his eyes, could do and fix anything and the only time he could conceive of my not being able to do anything was after I “got dead” and was, in his own way, assuring me that after I was no longer able to do those things for myself, he would see they got done for me.
I felt like (and still do as Iwrite this ) crying because of the sincerity of his desire to do something for someone who could, in his eyes, do or fix anything.
I find myself feeling that way toward our Savior and our God - not that He is going to “get dead.” He’s already done that for us - but I feel the same way as my 4-year-old grandson.
What CAN I do for one who can do and fix anything? What is there that we can do for Him?
Jesus tells us in John 14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father,” indicating after He’s gone there will still be work to be done and we are the ones that are to do it.
Jesus specifies a task we can do for Him when He tells us in Mark 16:15: “Go yea into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is something we can do for one who can do and fix anything.
How about you? Do you have the same desire to do for the One who can do and fix anything that a 4-year-old has to do for something his grandpa? No wonder Jesus said: “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
I don’t know about you, but I am constantly humbled at the things children can teach us ... if we listen and hear God speaking through them.
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Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, write in care of The Times at [email protected] or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.
Church, Pages 2 on 01/26/2011