“And whoever welcomes a little child . . . in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5 (NIV)
It was my oldest daughter’s eleventh birthday. The house was full of tween girls and boys eating hamburgers, laughing, and playing. Celebration was in the hot summer air. As I served them Oreo ice cream cake, I felt a wave of exhaustion pour over me. Strange. I am usually a night owl who requires little sleep, but that night after the boys left and the slumber party wound up, I had to wind down.
I’d been feeling like that for several days—just no energy. When I was still dragging the next morning I told my husband I needed to go to the doctor. I thought I had mono or something.
Before I called to make an appointment, I started to imagine what kinds of questions the doctor might ask. For some reason it popped into my head: Could you possibly be pregnant? The answer was fairly easy. No. Surely not. We had three children, all planned. I was about to turn forty. We were not planning to have any more.
Still, I decided to take a test. A few moments later my husband found me in our closet staring at the results with wide eyes. He hugged me and then we both stared into the changing landscape of the future. There were questions aplenty: about finances, my job, my age, even where to put another person in our three-bedroom house.
A year later now, we stare with wonder into the blue eyes of our new baby girl, and fear melts into peace. Another precious life has been entrusted to us, evidence His thoughts are not our thoughts nor His ways our ways. No, I think. They are infinitely better.
Jesus said that when we welcome a little child in His name we welcome Him. For me this verse has become quite literal, but I believe it’s also about welcoming whoever—and whatever—comes to us in His name.
Faith step: Are you willing to trust Jesus as He changes your plans? Is He welcome in your home? Your job? Your life?
