How a toddler’s birthday party taught a lesson about giving our hearts to God…
She was almost 2 years old…
Every night for a week her parents had read her a book about birthdays. They told her that soon it would be her birthday.
At two, “Soon” is a meaningless concept. There is only one time frame: Now.
Every day she woke up asking, “Birthday? Open Presents? Blow out candles? Eat Cake?”
Finally the day arrived to open presents, blow out candles and eat cake…
Her first present was in a gift bag, with tissue paper stuffed in the top. She looked a little confused, but started pulling out the tissue paper. Underneath was a character from one of her favorite learning games.
She took it out and said, “Oh, Wow!” and squeezed it. It talked to her. Her face lit up.
She squeezed it again and laughed when it talked to her again.
Then she put it back in the bag, and covered it with tissue paper.
One by one she took the papers out, and lifted up the toy for everybody to see.
Just as if she was seeing it for the first time, She said “Oh, Wow”, and started playing with it again.
She went through the same routine a third time…
And a fourth.
Every time she saw the toy, she was just as excited as the first time.
Just like the toy that was new every time she opened it, God’s love and mercy are new gifts every day.
Lamentations 3:22-23
… His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
How do we keep the same joy each day that she showed when she opened the present again and again?
1 John 2:15 Don’t love the world and what it offers. Those who love the world don’t have the Father’s love in them.
2 Cor. 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again
And how do live for Him and not the world?
Mathew 22: 37-38
7 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.
And how exactly do we do love God?
Mathew 22: 39-40
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
How do we start to love others?
Why not start with the little things…
- Holding doors
- Smiling at a stranger
- Encouraging a child
- Holding hands with your spouse
- Doing an unexpected chore at home
In those acts we will be sharing love in the little things…
The little things that only we can do because they come from our heart.
In those acts, we will be giving our hearts not just to our neighbor; we will be giving our hearts to to God. And that is all he ever asked of us…
Proverbs 23:19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
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