welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread reading titled learning and loving was written by Patricia Raven
 at a primary school in Greenock Scotland three teachers on maternity leave brought their babies to school every two weeks to interact with school children play Time with babies teaches children empathy or care and feeling for others
 often the most receptive are the students who are a little challenging as one teacher put it it's often schoolchildren who interact more on a one-to-one level they learn how much hard work it is to take care of a child and more about each other's feelings as well
 learning from an infant to care about others is it a new idea to Believers in Jesus we know the one who came as the baby Jesus his birth changed everything we understand about caring relationships
 the first to learn of Christ's birth we're Shepherds a humble profession involving care of weak and vulnerable sheep later when children were brought to Jesus he corrected disciples who thought children unworthy let the little children come to me he said in Mark chapter 10 and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these
 Jesus Took the children in his arms placed his hands on them and bless them
 oh my eyes as his sometimes challenging children we could be considered unworthy to instead as the one who came as a child Christ accepts us with his love there by teaching us the caring power of loving babies and all people
today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Mark chapter 10 verses 13 through 16
 people were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them but the disciples rebuked them when Jesus saw this he was indignant he said to them let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these truly I tell you anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it and he took the children in his arms place his hands on them and bless them
 let's pray together
 are caring God thank you for loving us and teaching us to Value all people equally
 when we fail to show empathy for others remind us of how you love and value us then help us do the same for others
 in Jesus name we pray amen
 thanks for listening today my name is Joyce Dinkins and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries