Devotion: I Trust My Place With Jesus

Jesus was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:14, 16

The image of children on the lap of Jesus was visible in the stained glass window of our Sunday School when I was 6 years old. It helped to seal the message of our “Jesus loves Me” song. The story of adults trying to brush children away was told and we listened.  It was the response of Jesus is what caught our attention ~ imagine! He scolded those adults and made room for kids. I loved it.

As an adult, I also hear “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a Little child will never enter it.” He not only welcomed the children, he elevated them as an example of faith.

For years, I have been confident of my place in this church even though some adults would brush me aside. I am able to present scriptural and theological support for my confidence. But I suspect that having a ground-in sense of worth and place that came with the Sunday School lesson to a 6 year old (and repeated yearly) may be the real foundation of my resilience.

Nowadays the topic of homosexuality is more often discussed than it was when I was small. I am not sure whether this makes it more easy or more difficult for a young person realizing who they are. I know that some teenagers are coming out in high school and even middle school. I know that parents are more aware that their child may be homosexual.

I found a great book on sexuality written for parents of young children and teens. The authors write with sweetness and humor as they hold parents accountable for the well being of their children. They tell a few stories of irresistible children and ways that parents can help them to thrive ~  how to talk about homosexuality in age appropriate ways and how to create an affirming home.

When a little girl said she loved her friend and asked “Am I a lesbian?” Mom said, “That’s friendship love. That doesn’t mean you are a lesbian. The kind of love a lesbian has for another woman is like the love Cinderella felt to the prince. If Cinderella were a lesbian, she would have fallen in love with a princess.”

Chapter 5 is called, Think about it: Considering your child’s sexual orientation. In it they write, “Consider the possibility that you have been charged with the responsibility of raising a gay son or lesbian daughter.” And “Your child needs you to be the parent. You may not be an expert on homosexuality, but neither is he.”  Page 143

We are children of God. Jesus created an affirming home for all of God’s children.

I thank God for family and Sunday School teachers that allowed me to thrive. I trust my place with Jesus.

Sue Laurie
Outreach Coordinator, Reconciling Ministries

Everything you NEVER wanted your kids to know about Sex, but were afraid they’d ask. J  Justin Richardson, Mark A. Schuster