Run to Jesus!

Lately, every time we open the front door to go outside, Charlotte runs out screaming and singing with pure excitement. Two of her favorite songs right now are Barnyard Dance and The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. A couple of weeks ago, as we were heading to church, she was running around the yard. We called out, “Let’s go to church!” and she shouted back, “Run to Jesus!”

That moment hit me.

Shouldn’t we all be doing exactly that—running to Jesus with that same kind of joy? With that same uninhibited, childlike excitement?

Going to church, being part of our community, and seeking God’s Kingdom should be daily priorities. Not in a check-the-box sort of way, but with an eagerness to meet Jesus, to place Him at the center of our every hour, every decision, every breath.

I’ll admit—joy doesn’t always come as naturally for me as it does for our daughters. Adult responsibilities, stress, and the serious demands of life weigh heavily. I’m often focused and intense. Sometimes Cata will ask if I’m unhappy—not because I am, but because I forget to show it. I’ve joked that I’m like a “serious clown”—smiling on the inside, cracking jokes on the outside, but trying not to break character. Maybe that’s a reflection for another day: The Serious Clown and the Pursuit of Joy.

Our prayer as parents is that we can recapture some of that childlike joy and eagerness to run to Jesus. And even more, that our daughters never lose it. That no matter what they face in life, they’ll run to Him with their whole hearts, secure in who they are and who He made them to be.

“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 (NIV)

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for the joy You plant in our children’s hearts. Help us learn from them. Teach us to seek You with that same delight and abandon. Let Your presence be our daily pursuit, and may we never forget who we are in You. Amen.