Mark Sorensen I have to share a sweet story that happened during last Sunday’s Easter service at 5:30pm.
As I walked off of the stage and stood on the side of the worship center, my eyes caught a little 6-year-old child kneeling at the front with his hands clasped, eyes shut, and clearly lifting up a big prayer to the Lord. I watched as his mom stood behind him, smiling. I walked over and whispered to the mom that that was one of the sweetest takeaways I could have been given from a beautiful Easter Sunday spent with the community.
Later that night, I got an email from the mother who shared, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”
When they got back to their seats, she asked her little one what he had prayed for. His response? “Mom, I prayed that Pastor Mark would be able to walk on water this summer when he gets into the pool. He said that in his sermon and really wants that to happen so I asked God for a favor.”
Incredible.
I messaged that mom back and told her to tell her son that if that miracle happens, he will be the only one I’ll tell.
There’s a beautiful moment in the Gospels where Jesus refers to a child as the adults gather around Him. Jesus says,
“Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable, and learn about heaven’s kingdom realm with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, you will never be able to enter in. Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this gentle child is the greatest one in heaven’s kingdom realm.” – Matthew 18:2-4 (TPT)
Kids just get “wonder,” don’t they? Every day is an adventure. A cardboard box is never just a cardboard box. It’s a spaceship that just needs some duct tape, markers and a little imagination. I think this is what Jesus is saying we mustn’t lose. It can be so easy to box God in, to lose sight of the adventure that our lives are called to hold. Yet, the Easter story wasn’t given to us to box us in as followers of Jesus. When Christ came out of that tomb, He came to set us free.
On the other side of Easter comes the reality that the tomb is empty. Love rushed out of that dark, damp place that held death and, instead, brought life and love that finds each of us as we are.
Greater? Nothing separates us from this love. So, as we find ourselves on the other side of Easter, let’s approach the day with child-like wonder. Let’s go to our Father with the big prayers and even the small ones. And then? Let’s take that love that meets us amidst our joys, our concerns, our perfect places and not so perfect places, let that love cover us and then throw that same love out on others like it’s confetti.
In Jesus’ name. 😉
