Missionary Impossible

Iris from Sting My Heart is hosting "In 'Other' Words" today. She chose a quote from my book, The Mom Complex for this weeks choice. Thanks Iris! :) The quote came from a story in the book called "Missionary Impossible."

Long story short, we had a missionary coming over to the house to meet with our cell group for the evening, but while I was busy getting ready for the evening, the little guys--then about 3 and 5--were getting ready to destroy my reputation. Y'know, it was one of those days that made me wonder if I should have invested a little more money in birth control.

The story goes on to say... I went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Michael stayed in the living room chatting with our guests, while the missionary set up his video equipment at the dining room table.

Before the kettle let out it’s whistle, I heard a little voice coming from the dining room. I stopped to listen—-there were two little voices in there. I knew it had to be Graham and Nathaniel, and if they hadn’t done something disastrous yet, they were about to.

I rushed around the corner to assess the damages, only to find that my greatest fear had become a reality. My youngest son had perched himself up on the missionaries lap in nothing but his tighty whities, while his brother stood by asking a hundred billion questions.

Silent smiles streaming from the living room left me to wonder if they were smiles of pity, and if I’d forever be known at church as the mother who doesn’t dress her kids. Pamphlets laid out on the table left me to wonder if the missionary would share this information in foreign countries when he travels the globe, assuring women in third world countries that their children are well cared for.

But the look on his face soon turned my fears to to a feeling of awe. I witnessed a man smiling down at a little boy as though he was the greatest possession in the world—-more precious than diamonds or rubies.

It almost seemed that this man could see the boy that I’ve seen--in those quiet moments when the world fades away and all that is left is a baby in the arms of his mother. When Nathaniel leans in for a hug, his only concern is sharing his love. He doesn’t care that his shirt has tomato sauce on the elbow, or that his hair looks like a tangled ball of thread, and he doesn’t care about what he did yesterday, or what he’ll be doing tomorrow. That’s pure and true adoration.

I long to worship Jesus with the heart of a child, in a state of pure and true adoration. Yet so many things of the world cloud my thoughts and pull on my heart until it’s no longer just a girl in the arms of her Father.

I imagine the little children with their wonderfully messy faces, their silly questions, and yes perhaps even their little tightie whities approaching Jesus. He smiles, motions his hand to draw them near, and says, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.”

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." ~ Mark 10: 13-15

Visit Sting My Heart to read her take on the quote and to visit other participants.