Innocence

She lurks in their yard. This total stranger crosses the boundary. She picks things up and moves them. She moves to another yard. She touches things. She moves again and stands there.

When they see her they laugh. Not a cynical, what’s-this-weirdo-doing kind of laugh. A genuine belly laugh full of joy.

That’s because she’s just under three feet tall, has curly baby hair, and toddler legs. At 16 months old she’s innocent. If she were an adult doing these things someone would call the police.

Why can a baby get away with being in the wrong place? Innocence.

No one suspects her of doing wrong. The minute they see her they are delighted.

We don’t have that privilege anymore. We, as Christ followers, can’t do wrong. We can’t even be in the wrong place doing nothing. People who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will not understand. They will point – not laugh.

In 1 Peter 2:12 (NLT) we are called to, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”

As strangers in this world, let’s be so innocent that when they point, they point up to give God the glory.

Amen.


Gifted Quill Devotional
By Nancy Lucas
222 words
October 10, 2006/sent Nov. 30