If you have ever visited us at RHFH, you will recall the excitement and joy (yours and theirs) of being engulfed with happy shouts and hugs each time you entered our Rescue Center. If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet – picture a mass of little faces lighting up, shouts of your name being called and small bodies hurtling themselves toward you with smiles and hugs. It’s a pretty incredible experience of pure love and joy -a gift from the heart of God! An experience that Grace had in mind as she wrote this dramatization of a scene from Luke 18.

“Let the Little Children Come to Me” by Grace Zachary
The men started shouting. The other kids and I recoiled back from the nice man. One of the men grabbed my tunic, shoving me back into the crowd.
“Back children, back! Do not disturb the master as he speaks. He doesn’t have time for you,” one of the men said to us. He was one of Jesus’ followers, and you could hear the gentleness in his voice, although he said the words sternly. I almost started to cry. I don’t like being yelled at.
My little brother, Saul, actually did start to cry. I held onto his tunic, trying to shush him before the men yelled at us again. The other children looked back longingly at Jesus. He stood up from where he sat, and extended his arms in a gentle smile. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
He declared in a loud voice for the whole crowd to hear. Still, his words seemed quiet and gentle, filled with patience and love. His disciples looked back at him, baffled. They stood in disbelief as all the children ran back past them toward Jesus, some laughing and jumping. Saul, my little brother, stopped crying, letting go of my hand and running to Jesus giggling uncontrollably. Jesus held out his arms to him, seemingly ready, but Saul jumped into his lap with such excitement that Jesus let out a little “oof” as my little brother made himself comfortable on the teacher’s lap. I felt my cheeks grow warm in embarrassment, and I called for Saul to get down.

“Sarah, it’s alright. His joy is refreshing”
Jesus said to me, smiling and looking right at me as he did so. I let my mouth fall open. How had he known my name? The other children all crowded around Jesus. Two or three even made it into his lap with Saul. The others stood around his shoulders, and still the older ones made themselves comfortable around his feet on the grass, including me. Jesus then started to talk to us, and tell us stories. I couldn’t help but feel extremely special sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him while the adults stood back, still quite confused. I knew the other kids must have felt the same. I felt even more loved and special as he began to bless each and everyone of us. When he came to me, he gently placed his hand on my head and closed his eyes. I did so to. As he whispered words of prayer, I felt my heart swell. I had never been blessed before. And now here I was being blessed by the one and only Messiah. That’s what my parents and everyone else called him. I still didn’t quite understand what it meant, but I knew I would when I was older. All I knew now was that this man was kind and trustworthy, and loved each and every one of us. After he took his hand away from my head, I felt a new feeling rising inside of me, one completely unfamiliar, but it felt good. It was hope.