Be like little children....

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.…Matthew 18:2-4

I always chuckle when I come to this passage. How often have we heard while growing up, to "grow up!" It seems that we are hurried to learn our ABC's, do the math, go potty "like big people" and drive a car. Then, we leave home and have our own kids. Yet...we always look back at our younger years and wonder just where did the time go?

As I sit here at age 51, I also look back. I look back at the pain of growing up, of trying to fit in, of never being "good enough" in my parents' eyes. Some of that was just my perspective; being in a dysfunctional family, I was always told how "bad" I was. So, I believed it. I tried that much harder to get my mother to see how much value I had. I got straight A's, kept my room clean, walked the dog, babysat as much as possible for my younger siblings and when she was in the hospital for awhile due to complications from Lupus, I literally took over care of the house, cooking and cleaning it until she got home. I was just eleven years old.

I was watching a show on TV recently in which a young gal was preparing for her junior prom. I never went to my prom. I didn't have boyfriends while in high school, I never tried out for sports, I never had sleepovers with my girlfriends....in short, I had to grow up much too fast.

And so, I look back. Did I miss out on a lot? Not really. I still have my child-like innocence. Although I had to wake up early and realize that Life will never be fair, it gave me perspcetive to appreciate all that was and still is around me. I am always amazed when I point out the singing of birds or the rising full moon to someone and their response is usually, "oh...really...yeah, I guess it is kind of neat!" Kind of neat? It's God's creation...isn't it wonderful!?" I gush. It's within Nature that I feel most comfortable and the closest to God. As I listen to the news about the wars, the hate, the hunger around the world, I often wish to be on a mountaintop somewhere, away from the pain of the world. Although Jesus sometimes went away to the mountains to pray, He also returned to the realities of life to be with those who were hurting. It was His desire that others come to know and understand God through Him. Sadly, many did not understand this; to them, He was a source of food, healing and compassion. Did they understand that He was God made man? He reminded them often enough...right up until the Last Supper, when He broke the bread, gave it to them and said, "this is My Body, which will be given up for you." Even then, it just went over their heads. I am sure that to hear from someone they loved who was going to be leaving them probably threw off the message that He wanted to convey. And I am certain that Jesus felt like many parents feel now when their children just don't "get it." One just sighs and continues on with the lesson.

Today, look around you, much as a child does. Admire the wonders all around you...look to the sunrise, the sound of a baby crying, the voices of those who need some compassion, be those voices angry, sad or just lonely. See how you can bring joy to others around you. Remember how children love to pick dandelions and present them to you as if they were a bouquet of golden-dipped roses? They are giving you their all! Be that child today--and everyday...in that way, YOU will be like that child for whom, the kingdom of heaven is for!!