“Doth not even nature itself teach you?”
1 Corinthians 11:14
Some animals, such as fish and snakes, are independent from birth. Why did God, who could have done otherwise, make children so dependent? Could it be because He wants us as His children to always stay dependently near to Him?
One-and-a-half-year-old toddlers can give tremendous entertainment at home, but when we take them to our place of worship, that can be challenging. There they feel that they have to be quiet forever since they can’t understand our language very well. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, which is a type of this world, they wanted to leave, but only as families all together. Children can be taught to be quietly reverent even when they are too young to understand what is being said. And like the toddlers of the children of Israel who grew up and, in time, crossed over Jordan, we can fervently pray that our children will someday trust the Saviour for themselves.
It hurts me to hear people speak of the “terrible twos.” Children full of questions are not terrible; they’re children trying to learn, and by their whys? they are asking you to help them figure out this life. God doesn’t make “terrible” children. Terribleness is when self or the old nature shows its ugly face (temper tantrums being only one example). Children are a gift on loan from God Himself, and I wonder how He feels when we categorize His little prizes into such negative categories.
What fun it is to hear how they arrange words and thoughts together into such interesting patterns when they start to talk! A newborn Christian may also speak to God his Father in interesting, unconventional ways, but still the Father delights in such sweet conversations.
Tucking them in at night is a time when we can connect warmly, and quietly channel their thinking heavenward. Our four little ones used to share a bedroom, so we’d sing together before sleep,
Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening, steal across the sky.
All the birds and flowers, soon will be asleep,
And I pray Thee, Father, help my soul to keep
Stayed upon Jehovah, nights are fully blessed,
Finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.