Suffer the Little Children

I was speaking to my daughter, Mary, on the phone last night. For those of you who are familiar, (or even if you’re not) she is my 42 year old mentally-ill child, and currently lives in an assisted living facility in West Virginia.

 

In an earlier conversation Mary had informed me that she, and the other clients in the old wood frame house in which they reside, had been experiencing 60 some degree temperatures at night; as the result of a leak in the upstairs roof, and insufficient heat downstairs.

 

I had informed Mary that if conditions didn’t improve that I would make a call to the administrator of the group home. She responded that this would be fine, but to wait until we talked again; which I did.

 

In our subsequent conversation my daughter said, “Dad, DJ, (the staff person) brought a heater in from her house. Its 75 degrees in here now,” (and) “When I talk to you about something that’s wrong, it seems like later something good always happens.”

 

Of course, her words warmed my heart.

 

Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me; for such is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Mary is rather like a little child in terms of her IQ, reasoning and conversation. And she receives and responds very much like a little child.

 

I think we should all, for all intents and purposes, approach life in a similar manner. At least, we ought to respond to our Heavenly Father very much like Mary responds to her earthly father.

 

I believe all Christians who have been Christians for very long can testify that when we bring our petitions to our heavenly Father, so often,… something good happens.

 

We have, after all, an Abba, (Daddy) Father in heaven who takes pleasure in us, and who has loved us with an everlasting love, and whom we have been given the privilege of approaching;… as a child approaches his father.

 

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 2