Children of God

Saturday morning as I sat praying on our porch, some small children walked up our street carrying a bag of mangos. I didn’t recognize them at first and assumed they were just neighborhood kids selling fruit, until I realized it was our godsons! Philip John and AJ live one hour away on the opposite side of the island, but they were visiting Sagay this past week and so dropped by our house, along with their cousins Sirose and Jay Ann, to bring us a gift of fruit.

These two boys are my only godchildren, apart from my baby niece in the States, so I am discovering for the first time what a joy it is to be a godmother. We showered them with little presents -- chocolate crackers, toothbrushes and toothpaste (somewhat of a luxury here), and little cross necklaces.

After putting on the new cross, Philip John inspected it and then turned his gaze to my slightly larger, engraved wooden cross.

“Baylo ta?” he asked. Can we swap? His brown eyes eagerly awaited my yes, and when I removed the cross from around my neck, he removed his as well and placed it over my head.

What a joy to receive the simple love that young children offer so freely! I’m sure it pleases our Heavenly Father to dote on us just as we enjoy doting on His littlest ones.

I had to smile when I later read that day’s Gospel from Matthew 19:

“Children were brought to Jesus that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to Me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”