“Alles gut.” It’s Okay.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 9:14

Penny, my granddaughter, has lived in Austria her entire life, as has her family for the past 12 years. Even though she was two years old, her parents enrolled her in kindergarten, which is equivalent to day care in America. The difference was that the kids and teachers spoke only German, while Penny knew only English, as that was the language spoken at home. Her two older sisters did the same, and so it was expected of her to attend kindergarten as well.

For three hours each morning, she played with other kids her age and listened to a language she did not understand, yet absorbed as only a young child can. She learned songs in German, but probably didn’t know the meaning behind the words. She loved kindergarten and participated with all the other children, even though she was the only one who didn’t know the language.

Two months later, while playing in a busy indoor playground, she noticed that a young boy about her age was crying after zooming down one of the many slides. She got up, went over to the little boy, touched his arm to get his attention, and said in perfect German with a genuine concern on her face, “Alles gut.” In English, that means “It’s okay.”

I witnessed this episode, and it touched me. It reminded me of Matthew 9:14. The innocence of a child is so precious. She didn’t realize that there may be a language barrier. She didn’t know that in Austrian culture, it is considered impolite to speak to strangers. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know him. She wanted to help and spoke, probably two of the only words she knew in German, to give comfort.

The kingdom of heaven is returning to the innocence and simplicity that we had as children. My heavenly importance won’t be because I had intelligence, athletic prowess, or economic success. That will all be gone. In its place will be my ability to care for someone with no agenda, no pretensions, and no inhibitions.

Maybe in heaven we will all look like children. At the very least, our goodness will be restored, and the purity of a smile and a caring word spoken will be honored. Such is the kingdom of heaven.

Prayer
Lord, help me to return to caring for others even though I am no longer innocent. May I reach out to others as you did to me?

Questions

1. Is there a child in your life who expresses the innocence within them?
2. What part of their response do you honor and how can you emulate that?