Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker
I have three cute and funny granddaughters: Lydia Mae 6 years, Felicity 4, and Vivienne 2. When the girls sleep at night, they each have a favorite sleeping companion they like to hold. Recently, after spending the night with me, it came time for all the family to pack up their belongings and head back to Missouri. Well, Felicity couldn’t find Tigee anywhere and was rather distressed. This little orange-and-black tiger has seen better days as both of his arms are held on with safety pins. I assured Felicity that I would find him later, so she was brave and went home without him.
Sure enough, I accidentally found him a few days later hiding on Pappy’s side of the closet floor. I immediately called my daughter and she handed the phone to Felicity so I could tell her the good news of finding Tigee. I felt impressed to go the extra mile and tell her not to worry about him, that he would sleep with me so he would be happy. She said, “OK” in her tiny soft voice, and everything seemed fine. Case closed, no problem.
When I got in bed that night, I was all comfortable and looking forward to sawing logs. But my mind was pricked with the words of my own mouth when I remembered that I had promised Felicity that Tigee would sleep with me. So I got out of bed, went into Mariam’s bedroom and scooped up the ratty-looking “stuffy” and climbed back into bed. To be honest I felt kinda’ stupid, but I knew that keeping my word was more important than feeling stupid.
The next day, I called my daughter and asked her to tell Felicity that Tigee had slept with me. Her response was, “I know, she said she would.” This green-eyed four-year-old’s confident response is the subject of my column this week. Jesus spoke several times about children. Little children have absolute trust in their parents and grandparents. And that is what our heavenly Father wants us to do — trust Him to do what His Word says He will do. If my granddaughter trusted me (as a human) to do what I said I would do, how much more can we trust the Master Creator to keep His Word!
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14 ESV). The honest humility of a young child consists of trust, vulnerability, and the need for help from a loving parent. Usually adults are to be the examples for children, but in this case Jesus instructs adults to come to Him like little children come to their parents.
As adult believers, Jesus tells us: “Do not be anxious for your life….Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?‘ …your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow…” (Matthew 6:25-34 NASB).
The Key: Trust in God like a four-year-old and you’ll be on the right track.