Scripture: “Let the little children come to me . . .” (Luke 18:16)

A little girl was given a lovely cross necklace and wore it every day. The pastor noticed and decided to teach the child a Bible lesson. “Jesus’s cross was not pretty and shiny. It was made of old, ugly wood.”   She didn’t hesitate to reply. “I know, but they told me in Sunday School that whatever Jesus touches, He changes.”

Jesus’s touch on my life began when I might have been four years old. We lived in a small town in southwestern Kansas, where parents never worried about the safety of their children. “Go outside and play,” my busy mother instructed, and I happily complied. My wandering feet soon led me to the doors of a church, where wonderful songs poured through their open doors into the dusty road . Entranced,  I walked in, to be welcomed by an amused adult. I remember standing on the pew in my dirty play clothes, clapping my hands to the music.  until my embarrassed mother found me.  I wailed when she took me home and begged her to let me return.  From then on, she sent me to church every Sunday morning without fail–clean and nicely dressed.  At least for one hour every week, she knew where her errant child was.

My journey with Jesus has not always been faithful, but of this I am sure:  Everything good that has happened to me came about because of my mom’s decision to expose me to His teachings. That one day changed my life in ways I can only imagine.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for welcoming the little children who are drawn to You and whose lives are forever changed. Bless the Sunday School teachers who give their time and love to all who come. Theirs may be the greatest ministry of all.