Blessings under our noses

We're keeping Gavin, our 6-year-old grandson this week, and I've been given some great material to work with.

Yesterday over cereal, as he spilled some milk from his spoon: "Uh, oh, milk pants." I'm assuming he's done that before.

Yesterday while driving: "Pawpaw, let's do a knock-knock joke.
Me: Okay
Gavin: You start.
Me: Start what?
Gavin: Say knock, knock.
Me: Okay. Knock, knock.
Gavin: Who's there?
Me:
Me:
Me:
Gavin: Come on Pawpaw. Say something.

I bought Gavin a remote-controlled car yesterday. His reaction? "Gabe (his older brother) will be jealous won't he? You didn't buy him a remote-controlled car, did you?"
Me: No, we didn't. I guess he will be jealous (thinking Gavin will feel guilty).
Gavin: Good.

Blessings in this tired, dark world are hard to find. Perhaps they're so hard to find because we've not been looking in the right place. We've looked at our health and found it wanted. We've looked at our bank accounts and found them lacking. We've looked at our hopes and aspirations and found them falling short.

But have we looked at the children and seen opportunity not challenge?

This morning as I was walking on the treadmill, Gavin says,"Pawpaw, I saw a commercial that said you could buy a pillow that attaches to your I-pad so that when you sleep, it makes noise."

I'm not sure if that's true because this is a kid who said he wanted a bulldozer that turned into an airplane for his birthday, and we never found that.

The point is this: Jesus said let the little children come to him. I believe it is our charge, all our callings, to do this. I believe that feeding them, helping them see Jesus in us, helping them know who Jesus is is critical to this world's future.

Saturday evening while all the adults were doing things in another room and his brother and cousins were playing this and that, Gavin was drawing in his room. He drew three crosses, and he put Jesus and Mawmaw and Pawpaw on his drawing. He says he doesn't know where the idea came from.

I suspect I know a little about that.

Gavin: Say the joke Pawpaw.
Me: I don't know the joke Gavin.
Gavin: Sure you do; it's a knock, knock joke.
Me: But you have to start it.
Gavin: Why?
Me: