his glory still gleams in their eyes

I have loved many children in my life. The kind of love where your heart hurts when you think about it. The kind of love where your eyes start to well up and your throat gets tight with emotion when you think about how much these little ones mean to you. You know the feeling, probably.

I have long loved these words by Charles M. Dickinson:

They are idols of hearts and of household!
They are angels of God in disguise;
The sunlight still sleeps in their tresses,
His glory still gleams in their eyes;
These truants from home and from Heaven,
They have made me more gentle and mild;
And I know now how Jesus could liken
The kingdom of God to a child.

We went to the park a few days ago and I snapped some pictures of my babies. When I look at these photos I feel those words; these littles of mine truly are those angels of God in disguise, and have made me more gentle and mild in a thousand ways. And having them in my life makes it crystal clear why Jesus would liken the kingdom of God to them. They are everything precious and beautiful and holy and without guile or judgment. Oh how sacred a privilege to be a parent!

Truants from heaven wearing Ghostbusters and pink hearts. So grateful they are mine.