어린아이
하나님 나라에 거목으로 크게 쓰임 받을 기회가 있는 자들
그들의 마음과 머리는 새 도화지
어른들이 그려가는 대로 만들어지는 한 장의 그림
그 그림을 잘 그리는지 못 그리는지를 정하는 것은 어른들 

어린아이
어른들을 교과서로 삼는 이들
어른들을 삶의 내비게이션으로 삼고 사는 자들
순간순간 삶을 살아갈 때 어른들의 행동을 떠 올리며 그대로 살아가는 자들
안 닮겠다고 결심하면서도 위기의 때가 오면 그대로 어른들의 행동을 답습하는 자

어린아이
어른들의 편지
어른들의 말을 그대로 마음에 새기며 사는 자
부정적인 말을 듣고 살면 세상을 부정적으로 보는 자
믿음의 말을 듣고 살면 세상을 믿음으로 보는 자

어린아이 사무엘
간절한 기도로 키운 아이
부모가 말씀을 열심히 가르쳐 성전에 홀로 살게 되었어도 경배하던 아이
이스라엘을 선지자 제사장 왕권을 가지고 다스린 선지자   
그 누구도 넘볼 수 없는 굳건한 하나님 나라를 이루게 한 기도의 사람

하나의 거목이 탄생하기 위해서는 어른, 당신의 노력이 절대적으로 필요합니다!

“Little Children”

Little children,
Those who have the opportunity to be used by God’s kingdom as giant trees
Whose hearts and minds are like new sheets of paper
Paintings of how adults draw them.
The adults determine the outcome of the painting.

Little children,
Ones who consider adults to be like the textbooks of their lives
Those who think of adults as navigators  
Those who recall certain behaviors of grown-ups and try to emulate them  
Those who do the same things the adults did in times of trouble, even though they promised themselves they would not be like them

Little children,
Those who are like letters written by adults
Ones who have engraved the words of grown-ups in their hearts
Those who become pessimists if they grew up listening to negative words  
Ones who view all things through eyes of faith if they grew up hearing words of faith

Young Samuel,
One who was raised on prayer  
A child whose parents taught him the word of God
One who worshiped God even though he had to live at the temple alone
A prophet who led Israel as a prophet, high priest, and king
A man of prayer who helped establish the firm, unsurpassable kingdom of God

Adults! Your efforts are essential for children to become giant trees of God!

이종식 목사 (베이사이드장로교회)
ⓒ 아멘넷 뉴스(USAamen.net)