The Little Ones

With yesterday came another day of teaching children's church. Once a month, my sister and I are blessed with the opportunity of leading both services for the little ones. I've come to see that my absolutely most favorite part of these Sundays are what we like to call "Soaking Time."

This is the time where my sister and I play a song that the Lord puts on our hearts and simply let the kids spread out, lay, sit, dance, pray, rest, whatever they want really. It's when everyone just soaks up the sweet melody and opens up to the Holy Spirit. We encourage them to ask God to show them His face or a picture of His beauty. 

Month after month I am blown away by what these children see in this soaking time. They get the  most beautiful pictures from our Savior. Whether its a glimpse of Heaven or the sweet face of Jesus, my heart is always struck by how easily these children can enter the Kingdom. I laughed yesterday when I asked them if they felt like they were sleepy when we sang over them. One precious little girl proceeded to say, "YA! I almost fell over I felt so sleepy!" I then got to explain to them that that is what we call peace and it comes from the Holy Spirit. It was incredible to see them realize they felt the Holy Spirit. And when everyone shares what they saw or felt it encourages all of them to seek more of Him. That same precious little girl asked after many had shared, "We can really see Jesus!?" It was my joy to tell her yes. 

I have noticed there is quite a lack in Children's Sunday school volunteers in many if not most churches. I think it is so easy to just send the kids to the back of the church and then have the adults go to "real" church, but that is just the idea satan  wants us to have. He wants us to ignore the little ones. He wants us to just send them back to play because he knows that if these littles ones are poured into with even more intentionality than adults then he will have a force to reckon with. 

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). 

I found this stuffed in my journal that I wrote in February:

"Children. The dictionary defines them as 'young human beings below the age of full physical development,' 'immature or irresponsible people,' who have 'little to no experience in a particular area.'  

Children. God defines them as the ones to whom the Kingdom belongs, the mountains of faith, the pillars of trust, the special joy of God's heart.

Children don't get a junior Holy Spirit. When they believe, they have the same fullness of the Spirit as a grown adult. They are part of the church. They are a part of the church body that is often easy to overlook. Some say they are the church of tomorrow, when actually they are the church today. 

They are hungry. They are thirsty. They want their Heavenly Daddy. Their soul longs for their Savior's presence. But if no one pours into them who will lead these littles ones into their Savior's arms rather than into the world's arms? They will find guidance and wisdom from someone. Let's make that wisdom and guidance be the Lord's. 

The enemy wants us to think, "When the kids are older, then they can understand the deeper truths."  No. The time is now. There are newborns to sing over, toddlers to be loved, children to be guided and encouraged. It's not just another child. It is an heir to the throne, a holy temple of God.

Will you help pour into the church? Will you stand up for the little ones and speak Life into them? Or would you rather someone else?. The harvest is thick, and it's right down the Church hallway. The harvest is ready, but the harvesters are few. 

Will you be one to come and help us harvest? Don't let the cup of joy and eternal reward pass you by. There is much to learn from the little ones. Now is the time to listen and love them, for there will come a time when they will be the ones who you desire to listen and love you."