Road construction seems to be taking place every road we travel on these days. I can hardly get to my day to day locations without passing trucks and men directing traffic.

For the last few weeks, it seemed  Jocelyn was more interested in the trucks than in the people but she was taking it all in. The other day, she began a line of questioning about the flagmen:

“What they doing?” Why they doing that?”

With each answer, she replied, “Oh.”

This week as we passed some road construction, there were no questions only silence from the back seat. Until she said, “When I get bigger bigger, I am going to do that!”

Wait, what?

“I want to wear the green shirt (aka, florescent safety vest) and do that.”

I continued to ask her questions as I tried to learn why becoming a flagman was now her career of choice. I feared I should not have pointed out to her the two who were walking and eating donuts one day. But shad had her own list of reasons why this seemed to be the ideal job for her:

“I want to wear the green vest.”  ((She has a sense of fashion.}}

“I want to tell people when to go and when to stop.” {{Yes, she can be bossy at times.}}

“It’s an important job because it keeps everybody safe.”  {{She desires to be important.}}

I love these sorts of conversations with children. They pull back the curtain to let us see what goes on in their little minds. They reveal the way they process life. But more so, they reveal the longings that are in us all from very young.

We went for a short ride yesterday, again passing construction in a different area. The green vests were present and she made comment again on the flagmen.

The green vest again had her attention. It seemed to signal her to go and be all that she could be. So I said the only words she longed to hear,

“Yes, Jocelyn, you can be a flagman when you get bigger!”

I am sitting this morning, smiling as I think on these conversations and ever so softly comes the verse,

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14, NIV)

Those words in red in my Bible, spoken by Jesus Himself, suddenly taking on new meaning –

Do not hinder them.

Let them dream and discover the longings God has placed inside of them. The personality traits which we notice each day?  Help them to develop them, learning how to use them and when to rein them in. As we get glimpses of desires to be known, or recognized, or important, let’s encourage them to be known and recognized by God for that is the only importance which will truly ever matter.

Jesus revealed His heart towards children as He sat talking with them. He let them climb up into His lap, loving them, and speaking words of blessing over them.

My we encourage our children to take their dreams and aspirations, placing them in the hands of Jesus, where they will not be hindered but receive all that He has for them.

Children – humble and teachable.
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Today I am joining … Faith ‘n Friends and Let Us Grow .