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You know this kid. He’s on the third shelf of the bookcase before you’ve finished saying his name, and “be careful” seems to land somewhere behind him. He isn’t trying to break anything. He’s a sweet boy who’d feel terrible if he knew he’d upset you. But there’s a cup on its side in the kitchen, a flowerpot in two pieces by the back door, and nobody saw either one happen. By dinner you’re a kind of tired that’s hard to explain to parents whose kids just sit.
If that sounds like your situation, Let the Children Come to Me was written with your family in mind.
The Story Behind Let the Children Come to Me
Josiah is a little boy with far more heart and energy than caution. On the opening pages, he knocks over a flowerpot while his parents are working in the garden and showers them both in dirt. Then he laughs and sprints off before anyone can catch him.
His parents are at the end of their rope. They’ve had the long talks. They’ve made him clean up every mess. They’ve sent him to bed early. Nothing sticks.
Most of us will recognize ourselves in their conversation right away: two parents who love their child to pieces, worry about him constantly, and have simply run out of ideas.
Then his mother remembers something. Jesus is passing through their town that very afternoon. Maybe He could bless Josiah. Maybe a blessing is what it takes to finally keep him safe.
“My Child, Come to Me”: A Bible Story from Mark 10:13–16
Josiah’s parents take him by the hand and head out into the crowd. And there, Jesus’s own disciples block the way. Kids aren’t worth His time right now, they insist. He’s far too busy for this kind of noise.
What happens next comes straight from Mark 10:13–16, and it’s the heart of the whole book. Jesus calls out over the crowd: “My child, come to Me.”
He gently corrects His disciples in front of everyone. Then He pulls Josiah right into His arms.
For the first time in the story, this restless, tumbling, never-still little boy is completely at peace. Even the family cat, who has been keeping a safe distance the whole time, finally wanders close.
Why This Christian Children’s Book Speaks to High-Energy Kids
It tells your child Jesus wants them as they are. Not a calmer version. High-energy kids hear a steady stream of corrections all day: slow down, stop that, sit still, quiet voice. Over time they start to wonder whether they’re just too much. In this story, Jesus never asks Josiah to settle down before He greets him. He invites him over exactly as he is.
It leaves the mistake in the story. Josiah really does break things, and the book doesn’t pretend otherwise. Kids see that their actions have real consequences, and that those mistakes never cancel out how loved and wanted they are.
It shows adults getting it wrong. The disciples are the ones who need a lesson here, not the child. For a young reader, watching Jesus gently overrule the grown-ups who brushed a little boy aside is deeply reassuring.
It gives peace a picture. That final image of a child in constant motion finally resting in Jesus’s arms gives little ones a tangible feel for what drawing near to God actually looks like.
A Word for the Worn-Out Parent
The book gives parents grace, too. Watching a loving family struggle through exhausting days is a reminder that you aren’t failing. You’re human, and you’re in good company.
Josiah’s parents went looking for a way to protect their son. What they found was a Savior who already loved him completely.
Bedtime Questions to Ask After Reading
Let the Children Come to Me makes a wonderful bedtime read. It’s short enough for a single sitting and ends on a quiet, peaceful note that helps little ones wind down.
When you finish, try a few gentle questions:
– Why do you think the disciples tried to send Josiah away?
– How do you think Josiah felt when Jesus called his name?
– Have you ever felt like you were too much? What did Jesus do for Josiah instead?
– What helped Josiah feel so peaceful at the end?
Where to Buy Let the Children Come to Me
If you’re the weary parent standing in the garden today, this book is for you as much as it is for your child.
Let the Children Come to Me is available now on Amazon.
