Waving To Chickens

I have said the same thing twice in the past few days.
The words were said to different people in different conversations.
The words opened up a deeper discussion.
The words were simply: The world is so broken.

Don’t get me wrong, there is such beauty in the world.
We only have to look at a glorious sunrise or sunset and we sigh at its perfection.
We only have to hold a newborn baby and marvel at the mystery of life.
We only have to gaze in the eyes of those we love to see the gift of family.

But the world is broken.
The world is broken because of sin.
Sin that began in the garden when the enemy taunted: Did God really say?
Adam and Eve doubted the truth of God’s Word and they disobeyed.

What God called, good, was now tainted with sin.
Relationship with Him was broken.
Relationship with Him needed to be restored.
Even as the sinful disobedience was happening, God had a plan of redemption.

One plan: God would send His Son, who was born to die.
His Son, Jesus, who knew no sin, would become sin for us and die on a cross.
Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, becoming the first fruits of all who believe.
We, who look to Jesus and trust in Him alone for our salvation, have a way back to God.

In the meantime, there is brokenness.
There is sin in me, in you, and in the world around us.
Nothing is as it should be.
But one day, there will be a new heaven and a new earth and we will be with God again.

That is why little glimpses along the way are so helpful and so needed.
We see the brokenness.
We recognize it and know that things are not what they should be.
We walk around as strangers and aliens with two left feet, knowing this is not our home.

But then the shadows lift, for just a bit, and we see innocence.
The darkness fades, for just a minute, and we see beauty in the face of a child.
My mother had a litmus test when assessing someone’s character.
She would see how a child or a dog reacted to them.

I never forgot that and found that it is often very accurate.
You cannot hide the real you when you are with a child.
A dog senses what is down underneath and reacts.
The real you is laid bare and children and dogs know it.

My daughter took a picture of her youngest son.
They were leaving a friend’s house who apparently has chickens.
My two-year-old grandson was standing there, facing the chickens, waving goodbye to them.
The picture made a lump come to my throat because of its sweet simplicity.

I could hear him in my mind: Bye chickens, as he waved his little hand.
I am sure that he believed the chickens heard him and felt the pain of leaving.
I am certain that he is oblivious to the news of the day or any other pressing matters.
As it should be.

“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

Waving to chickens?
Yes.
Innocence and joy was captured in a moment in time.
Sounds like Someone else, doesn’t it?

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus, who knew no sin, who was innocent and pure, focused on the joy set before Him.
That joy was you and me.
The world is broken, there is no denying that fact.
But Jesus.

There is goodness in this world because of Him.