"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14
Children - God's gift to us. Of course, we were all children once. But we all grow up and take on responsibilities, jobs, families, and the resulting stress and pressures. We think we know it all - at least we pretend to. But looking into the eyes of a little child, one who has yet to be jaded by this world, we see a trust and an excitement that many of us adults need to reclaim.
Jesus reminded us of this when he said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). What does it take to become like a little child? Faith, trust, the ability to jump in to the pool without testing the water first.
Brent and Michaela Walker are new parents learning everyday what it is like to be a child again by watching their young daughter Sophie. She was born in February of 2008 with a rare condition that required a lengthy hospital stay. "Watching out new baby laying in that hospital bed gave us a profound appreciation for her life and for the God who created her. She is an amazing little girl, and we are excited to be her parents".
But as exciting as that event was, it was surrounded by tragedy, from the death of multiple friends, to watching other friends grieve when losing their children.
"I don't know why we were able to take this beautiful baby home while other parents lost their child. I don't understand God's ways, and after every tragedy, it became easy to be fearful and begin to worry about every little thing", Brent says. "I keep waiting for the next tragedy. But God is good. That's what I trust."
Ultimately, we have a God who is concerned with our grief and who loves us unconditionally.
Brent has seen a great parallel between his job as a dad and the way God treats us. "When Sophie cries, I take great joy in holding her and comforting her until she gets through it. Sometimes it takes awhile, sometimes it's quick. I believe that God does the same for us. He holds us close for as long as we need. But the longer we stay up close to Him, the more we want to stay there."
So let's become like little children again.
Brent Walker released his third CD - "Another Child (Songs for Sophie and Other Kids We Love" - in June 2008, and is planning for a fourth sometime in early 2010. He lives in Lake Wales, FL with his wife Michaela and their daughter Sophie. Brent teaches elementary music and Michaela takes care of Sophie. They are both alumni of Evangel University in Springfield, MO, and they travel many weekends and during the summers singing and sharing their music.