Take it to Jesus

One evening, during the lovely chaos of this past Christmas season, I found my firstborn grandchild sitting alone with tears running down her precious little face.

When my grands cry, my heart melts. I have identified this as one of the laws of motion that Sir Newton overlooked.  The poor man could only come up with three? Please. I have tons. Like, a grandchild’s body that needs rest will only come to rest when acted upon by an outside force. But, back to my story.

As Emerson began explaining her tears, which were connected to a bit of parental correction, I watched her cast a wistful look past my shoulder towards the remaining members of The Fabulous Five playing in the next room.

“Did your daddy tell you to stay here?” I asked Emerson.

“No ma’am,” she said, looking at the others again.

I got it. Emerson’s cart was upside down and she was having trouble righting it so she could rejoin the circus.

“It’s hard to get happy again when you’re upset, isn’t it?” I asked, Emerson. She nodded. The waterworks had slowed but her face was still screwed up in distress.

I told Emerson I understood because the same thing happens to me. When her eyes widened. I went on to explain that I had learned that Jesus was ready and willing to help. I told her I liked to find a quiet spot to ask Him to forgive me for my part of the problem, and then I’d ask Him to fix me up again. Emerson took that information in, and then she said she was going to go do just that. I watched her walk away with a happy heart that got even happier later when she reported back to me that, “it worked, Keggie!”

Friends, you and I both know that Emerson’s mood would’ve eventually improved on its own, just like ours. But, there is immeasurable value in teaching our littles to take their cares to Jesus in the moment. Let’s practice it so we can preach it, so to speak.