A lesson from my little brother

I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about how people relate within the church with those they don't know. Basically, they were talking about how you need to look for ways to meet new people and start conversations and be relational and stuff. Then someone made the comment, "I think we make this too hard" and my mind immediately jumped to my youngest brother. For the sake of not putting his name on the web, I'm not going to put his name on the web, so we'll just refer to him as my little brother. If you know me, you probably know his name.

Anyhow, we were at the ENT for my younger, his older, brother, and he was playing with standard toys that are usually present at a doctor's office and this other little girl was there as well, so as little children do, they began playing together. At one point he comes up to my mom, and was referring to his new playmate as "the little girl," so my mom says to him, why don't you go ask her what her name is. So he did. I suppose the little girl wasn't to the point of being able to fully communicate because she didn't really give him an answer. She sort of turned to her mom for guidance and then kinda mumbled something as a response. I realise for many of us, in our "sophisticated adult ways" are often hesitant in befriending or relating with those who it may seem "not so easy" to relate with initially. However, the lack of communication on her part, was no discouragement to my youngest brother. Instead of saying, well, "we can't really relate", or "this person seems like there will be effort to getting to know them" as we often say (not necessarily by our words, but our actions), he responded with a very formal (especially for the age of 3), "my name is _(first name)_, _(first name)__(last name)_." I found it very humorous at the time for the sole purpose of his unnecessary and completely unexpected formality, but as I think back on it, there's so much that can be learned from that 3 year old's introduction. Upon introducing himself, they continued playing as if they'd known one another for ages.

Oh if we (especially me) could be more like little children! (Matthew 18:3)