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By Betsy Ore Glass

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 19:13 NIV

Many years ago, I remember spending nine glorious days with my granddaughter during Spring Break. What a neat young lady she was and she was very good company. I saw this world from her eyes and perspective.

Today’s children have so much to stimulate them. It is certainly very different from when I was a kid or when I was raising my own children. But despite the iPad, TV, video games and movies, we settled comfortably into playing Scrabble, putting together a photo album, taking a few trips to Starbucks, teaching her to cook bacon and eggs so she could surprise her parents with breakfast and more. During our time together, she said her most favorite thing we did was have an early evening picnic at the beach where we nearly froze! But we did manage to get in a few tic tac toe games in the sand before heading back to the car to warm up. It was a fun time and a great week. Time has passed so quickly. Now she is an adult.

I came away with the thought that no matter what generation we are from, there is still no substitute for spending quality time together. It enriches the relationship and builds up a child’s spirit to take the time to really listen to them and invest time in them. It doesn’t have to be all the trappings of a day at an amusement park or expensive gifts that we heap on kids that makes for a great relationship. We had some wonderful talks and she opened up about her thoughts, dreams and even fears. She even performed a private flute concert for me! It was a blessing to have this time with her and it was good for her too. You can learn so much if you listen more than you talk.

God loves the little children for their purity and innocence. We are to make Him available to our children so that they may know Him and be wrapped in His Love. Just like a grandparent or parent freely gives of their time to a child, God does the same with us. Always available. Always happy to hear from us and loving us through the ups and downs of our own journey. God offers all of us an abundance of both time and love.

Betsy Ore Glass has long-standing ties to the Outer Banks. From Virginia Beach, her family bought a vacation cottage in the 60s and her love of the area began. Later in the 90s, Betsy and her husband bought a weekend cottage and introduced the area to their children. Then Betsy’s parents retired to KDH where the family gathered often. Reach her at betsyglass1@gmail.com or read additional Reflections at www.betsyoreglass.com.

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