I had taken some extra time to recharge last week. I caught up on my devotions, I caught up on my daily Bible reading plan, and I rested. This recharge had come just in time for our Sunday to serve in the kids' church. You see, without this break, I might have missed God's little nugget.
I was doing my normal kids'-church-leader thing: walking around and talking to kids who were sitting alone, trying to engage them and getting them to visit with other kids when I saw this little guy in an orange Nike shirt named Noah sitting alone with a dazed half smile staring up at the video screen listening to the upbeat music and watching the dancing on the screen.
Like usual, I looked at his nametag, and with a friendly smile, I said, "Hi, Noah; how are you today?"
Noah replied with a huge smile that I will never forget: "I'm doing great. I love it here, and I wish my dad would bring me here every single day!" This first grade boy (which I only know because I saw it on his nametag) had just made me, Stacey Pinz, someone who never usually has a lack of words to say around kids, speechless.
I saw it. He was content, joy-filled, wonder-struck, in awe, sitting there in the presence of his Father resting, stopping, and soaking it all in. While there was chaos and commotion all around him, he was content having stopped to savor his time in the presence of Jesus.
If I had not taken recharge time that previous week to listen and to rest, I am almost positive I would have missed this moment with Noah, and I would have viewed it as another interaction with another kid in kids' church; it would not have stuck in my brain like it has.
God is so good. He gives us exactly what we need when we need it, but we also have to be pressing into him and to be listening. When we let the commotion and the chaos of life interfere with our rest, our content, joy-filled, wonder-struck awe of the Lord suffers.
I never want to forget the faith of that little boy (God’s little nugget) with the orange Nike shirt, and I never want to forget the awe-inspiring love and joy of Jesus!
