How do you treat children?

Don’t play, go away, children should be seen and not heard, be quiet, sit down, I love you, you are awesome, keep it up, etc.  As a child, do you remember hearing these statements or do you say them now?

It is funny how our memory works.  I think back over my life and I seem to remember the extremes.  I remember the really bad as well as the really good.  For me the really bad made me rebel from the people and events; and the really good made me want to get more of it.  The interesting thing is now that I am older I find myself being like the people that did both the good and bad.

Extremes in life seem to put grooves into the soul.

The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.  Mark 10:14-16 (MSG)

Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”  Luke 9:48 (NIV)

What extremes have put grooves into your soul?  When kids come around you, do you go to their level and love on them like our Father in heaven does?  Do you welcome the children in the name of Jesus?  Do people leave you with a bitter taste or do they see the joy in your heart?