Through the Eyes of Children

Today at preschool I told the cute kids the Bible story (I work at a church-facilitated early learning program), and today's story was on Jesus' death. We've been going through the New Testament and this was the day Jesus died. It was a tough story to tell, because I wanted to share it in such a way they would understand but without down playing the horrible, yet beautiful sacrificial death.

They sat watching me with huge eyes and their mouths wide open because they understood (as much as you can when you're four) that Jesus hadn't committed one act of sin, yet He was being punished with thorns stuck in His head, flesh ripped off, hanging naked with nails through His hands and feet.

After the story I told them it was prayer time and I wanted them all to pray today (on most days the majority of the class want to pray, but today I wanted them all to pray) and thank God for sending Jesus to die for us. So I prayed then opened the floor for them to pray.

What happened rocked me to my core.

Almost all of them (we had nine in class today) fell on their face, literally, and prayed with their face to the ground, thanking God "for sending Jesus to die so we could be made alive" (direct quote from a four year old).

"Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" -Matthew 18:3-4

It is my greatest desire to see these little children grow and be saved, to see the power of God in their lives alive and active, and to teach them about God and His amazing plan for their lives. But today they taught me something; how to be humble and when you feel overwhelmed the best place to be is on your face before God thanking Him for sending Jesus to die so we could be made alive.