VIP Passes

Two days left! I need to head off to Harbor Freight to get some safety glasses and gloves! I spoke with Sydnie (the site director in Nassau) - lovely conversation once you get over the awkward delay from international cell phone calls that makes you talkwithoutpausingbecauseotherwisetheotherpersonwilltalktoosoon......kind of thing. It looks like we can be of service by bringing some other basic tools, which is always good. We, being the "haves" should do what we can to give to the "have nots", in this case, the ministry. Being on an island, everything is more expensive, down to the peanut butter that we will eat.


I am in hopes that we will be able to visit at least one orphanage while we are there. There has always been a place in my heart for the little children who are in need....something about how they have so little control over their situation. They can't provide for themselves, they can't simply "get up and move", and while I understand that many of the adults can't either, the children can just seem so helpless. Anyway, it seemed Jesus felt in a similar way about children.


We often see this verse:

Mark 10:13-15

New International Version (NIV)

The Little Children and Jesus

 ¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Which is one of my favorites - and it tells a lot about Jesus and how he felt. But so many people leave out the next verse, which tells us so much more:

Mark 10:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms [one by one], placed his hands on them and blessed them.


How can we ignore that last bit? Mark tells us he "took the children in his arms" and in some translations "one by one".


One by one he picked them up and hugged them....in a busy crowd where adults were waiting to speak to the messiah, Jesus stopped what he was doing, because nothing was as important as the blessing of those children in that moment. He let them know they were loved, and He made sure, in no uncertain terms that his disciples knew that the children could always come to Him. They got the VIP passes to see Jesus.


Perhaps we as adults have a lot to learn. Perhaps we need to pause and bless the little children when we can.


And so that is what I hope to do...to pause, as Jesus did, and take the time to be with the children, to hug them and listen to them, just as I do with adults who need it.


So, go out and hug a kid.






Please, though, make sure you know the kid, otherwise you might be arrested.




'til I write again, and even after that - God Bless!


- B