Take It—It’s Good For You
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat, this is My body.” (Matthew 26:26 NIV)
My husband and I do not have any children of our own but God has blessed us with Caitlyn. She is the daughter of my friend of 40 years. When Caitlyn was 3 she decided that we were hers. We call her our God grandchild. I figure that she is a gift from God and we think she is grand. That makes her our God grandchild.
I could not help but be amused one Sunday when she was visiting us and we attended church. Caitlyn is being raised in the Baptist Church where her mother is a life long member. We attend the Methodist Church which is somewhat different to what Caitlyn is used to. This particular Sunday was Communion Sunday at our church. Caitlyn had never seen Communion done in the way that we celebrated it that Sunday. As the Pastor led us we prepared for each row to go down to the altar to take Communion. As people begin to file down the isle, Caitlyn leaned over to me and whispered, “Are we all going to get baptized today?” Ahhh, the precious curious heart of a child.
This past Christmas Eve we were invited to join Caitlyn and her family at their church to see her in a Christmas Eve pageant. The church was packed. In a town of about 10,000 people I would say a third of the population had gathered to worship on this cold and wet Christmas Eve.
After she sang her part in the choir Caitlyn hurried back to where we were all sitting and nudged her way right beside me. She was so excited, Christmas Eve and we were all together at her church. The Pastor spoke and we sang hymns and then it was time to take Communion. Unlike the Methodist Church the ushers went to the front and then prepared to bring the bread to us in our seats. Caitlyn knew that this was different for us so she made sure I knew how to do it correctly. When they brought the bread, she leaned over and whispered to me, “hang on to it, we all take it at one time”. So I did, I reverently held it in my hand as each person was served. When the time came for everyone to take the bread the Pastor repeated the scripture and directed us to take the bread. Caitlyn looked at me with the heart and eyes of a child and said something very profound and enduring. With little loving hands she reached out and took my hand that held the bread, the body of our Savior. She look at me and so serious but joyfully said, “Take it Angela, it is good for you”.
Again, the heart of a child had brought to mind exactly what I needed to hear. It was good for me. It was good for everyone. Jesus is good for me. Jesus is good for everyone. I could not help but have tears of joy. This child has such a faith in God. Such a faith that we all should have, the faith and love for Jesus. Not complicated or with any agenda at all. She knows that Jesus is just good. He is just “good for us”.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for living in the life our young people. Protect them Lord as they grow up living for You. Help us to always have the faith as of a child. Pure and joyful. Give us strength as parents, grandparents and adoptive God grandparents like me as we participate in the raising of children in the light of Your love. In Jesus Holy Name. Amen
Thought to Think On: “take it child, it is good for you.”
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
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