This morning I was blessed with a story from my friend whose little boy is 3 1/2  years old.   She took him to the park to play, and he said, “Mommy, I want to hug people.  Is that okay?”  She told him he should ask first, and make sure they were okay with being hugged.

He went up to one little boy and asked, “can I hug you?”

“Sure” replied the boy.  So he hugged him.

Next he went up to a little girl.  “Can I hug you?”

“Yes”, replied the girl.  So he hugged her.

His love is bursting from within him, so much as he cannot contain it.  He simply must share it.  Still, he asks.  Desiring more than anything in this moment, a “yes”, so he can wrap his arms around them.  Yet regardless of the answer, he will love them.

He didn’t need to know a single thing about them.  He didn’t ask them to repent first.  He didn’t ask them to do anything, but receive the love.

“Can I hug you?” Jesus asks, waiting patiently, yet longingly for a “yes” as our reply.

That is Good News indeed, as displayed by a 3 year old.

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 19:14