Child like joy...

I am blessed to have a wonderful family. My cousin and her husband are ones we have been very close to for some time. She now has a 2 1/2 year old that I adore. I have been watching him since he was a little baby and now at the fun age of 2 1/2- boy is he such a little person that makes me smile so big. As I spend time with him I realize that I want some of his child like joy! Some of that child like faith. As the years of our lives press on and people change and our hearts get hurt, with each passing day faith can loose its luster and we can become hardened. I see him as he experiences the christmas decorations this year. The joy in his face and the faith that everything is going to be alright. I think about how as I sit rubbing my sore toe he stopped what he was doing and with such love asked me "what's wrong. I told him my toe is hurting and I am rubbing it. He put his hand on me so gentle and said, it's alright. And in that moment I felt God speaking to me. Through this kind young child.. I found myself really believing him. That everything was really going to be ok. With not only my hurting toe but my hurting heart, my broken spirit at times and my shattered faith. I found myself that night praying for his child like faith. I also find myself thinking about how as we sat at the table together, as a family, that he took the time to stop and smile and express ( in his 2 1/2 year old way) how we were to notice that we were all there at the table together. The look on his face I can not even express the joy he was feeling as we ate our enchiladas and he ate his fruit snacks. About something that we all to often take for granted in our busy, hectic, painful lives. Gosh how children are such a blessing and while we are teaching them about life and helping them grow how they can too be teaching us. Thank you to Mr Z for teaching me last night about the importance of joy.. true joy and faith that it is all going to be alright...