Today, I was at The Church at Woodland.  During the time of worship I am sitting and writing in my journal.  I start to notice several families with their children sitting next to them.  I began to watch one little girl with a beautiful smile sitting in her mother’s lap.  This is what I wrote as I took in the moment:

What can I say? Once again I’m thinking about the question, “Will our children have faith?”  I sit here and look at this little girl as she looks around and watches all that is going on around her.  She sees a man behind her raise his hands… then she looks at the woman next to him as she sings.  Her daddy is on stage playing in the band…  She is now sitting in her mother’s lap as her mom helps her clap with the beat as she bounces on her mother’s lap…  She’s a cute little girl.

I can understand why some would not want children in a worship service… but I still have to ask, “Will our children have faith?”  In what other setting can a little child begin to see, hear, and experience worship?  More importantly with their parents? 

We are taking a moment on our knees not to pray but to be thankful.  I can hear little voices of children and the beautiful sounds they make.  I am thanking God for the sound I hear.  I can hear one little child say, “Momma.”  Brad is speaking about the things he is thankful for and then as he speaks to God he states,“Our children are thankful – hear them Father.”

This moment would have been lost had they been in the nursery.  I’m thankful for having had this moment today.  My thoughts on this subject were encouraged and blessed by what I saw and heard.