A Child's Heart

Recently, our church congregation spent time putting together shoe boxes full of clothing, toys, books, toothpaste, tooth brushes, etc. for children all over the world. This is done through an organization called "Samaritan's Purse" and is referred to as "Operation Christmas Child".

The reason I'm writing about this, is not to draw attention to something good and honorable that Christians are doing in our community, but to draw attention to the heart of a child. The heart that God wants us to have in order to enter Heaven.

My neice is going to be 7 years old next month and has always had the softest heart when it came to caring for others. I took a little time to teach my neice and nephew about what all these boxes are for and how we are trying to put together wonderful presents for kids all over the world who otherwise won't have any Christmas presents. This touched both of them very much and it was quite easy to get them to want to fill up some shoe boxes with all sorts of things. They had a blast looking for just the right things with just the right colors (as you know, color is important to kids).

When the last few boxes were being put together, there was a box that didn't have very much at all in it because there just wasn't anything left to fill the box with. My neice, without my knowing it, decided to go through her toys (that she had just received brand knew only hours before) and put those same toys in that child's box. She then proceeded to create another shoe box, without my knowing it, by adding ALL of the toys and crayons to the box, that she had brought to that night's event for herself to play with. Everything was given and given cheerfully!

What can we as adults learn from a child like this?

Matthew 18:1-4

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "