The sky is blue with puffy clouds and the sun is shining! What a beautiful day! There's still snow on the ground, true, but...as long as the sky is blue, I'm OK. Besides, the snow gives the environment a "christmassy feel" that I love, so, I'm good to go! In days like today I feel the childhood enthusiasm of the little girl that grew up in a tropical paradise, many years ago...anticipating the holidays and the magic of December. The end of the calendar year also brought in extra excitement for me as a young person in Panama because it was also the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation...sigh...what a delight!
Needless to say, days for a child waiting for Christmas and summer vacation combined were filled with carefree bliss and a sense of whimsy that permeated every minute.
I long for that child...where did she go?
Life has a way to making the inner child disappear from our hearts, leaving only memories that are not part of our reality anymore. Today, however, I want to reclaim that child, even if just for a moment. I want to seek the little girl I know is still hiding in me and bring her to the forefront of my life if only for a day. After all, Jesus Himself spoke to this matter, right? In Matthew 18, when His disciples came to Him and asked Him who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus responded by calling a little child to His side to give an object lesson:
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 2-3
It is clear, through Jesus' words, that in order to be a part of His Kingdom, we must reclaim the inner child in us. The question is, how?
What is a little child like? Whiny? Irrational? Selfish? Demanding? Helpless? If you'd ask me, I'd answer yes to all these questions. That's what the world sees a child to be like. But I don't believe those are the child-like characteristics that Jesus is referring to as those we need to reflect in us. I think Jesus is talking about the essence of being a little child: a constant sense of wonder...a heart that trusts...a soul that is innocent and that makes faith possible because it has room to believe!
The little girl standing on the backyard on a sunny day of December closing her eyes as she enjoyed the soft caress of the early summer breeze could tell you that she believed! She had unshakable faith in the goodness of a God who gave her more blessings that she could have ever imagined. She could tell you how she marveled at God's gifts even if they did not materialized in the ways she'd dreamed. She could tell you how the warmth of the sunshine and the grass under her feet made her feel beloved...and how that was all she'd ever need.
I'm seeking for that little girl today...and I'm hoping to find her as I unwind after a hard year...I'm hoping to find her as I turn my eyes upon Jesus and I'm hoping to find her as I seek Him first.
May the Holy Spirit guide us as we search for the inner child that will enter the Kingdom of God. In Jesus' Precious Name. Amen!
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