A bit of perspective

As you can see, I do not post very often, but I just really needed to share this with someone.

It is truly amazing how children really help put life into perspective. I do not have any of my own, but I recognize that they are most definitely a blessing from God.

I was listening to some Christmas music on Yahoo! Music LAUNCHcast today, I believe it was the “Christian Holiday” station. A child began to recite the Christmas story as written in Luke Chapter 2. I was so enthralled by her reading that I had to stop what I was doing and listen to her excited young voice. She read with such joy and wonder, that it brought tears to my eyes. I checked the LAUNCHcast player to see what “song” was playing and it turns out that it was Luke 2:7-14 as read by Shaoey (Steven Curtis Chapman’s oldest daughter). This little girl brought such great joy to my day and reminded me that children truly help us as adults to put certain aspects of our lives into perspective.

A similar situation occurred earlier this week. I went to church Wednesday night under a lot of stress with all of the party planning (amongst other things) and not in the greatest of moods. We had our class party, during which we read the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2, had some pizza, and played a game or two. As I pulled out of the church parking lot afterward I realized my mood was completely the opposite of what it had been on the way to church. The children had touched me without even knowing it. Their pure and simple joy throughout the evening had lifted my spirits so greatly.

Interacting with these girls on a regular basis can be a challenge, but most days it is a blessing in disguise. They help me to see what is important. Family. Friends. Faith. Love. These are things we all too often take for granted and push to the back corner of our minds while petty arguments at work and self-inflicted exhaustion take over. Through the eyes of a child, life is much simpler. May the Lord help us all to be a little more like a child in this way.