Being Childlike
After a fairly hectic day in the midst of the Christmas Octave, I found myself steering my vehicle (or my brother's, whose it really is, is still under debate) toward Roychester Park, walking down (or really practically sliding down in the mud) the hill toward the creek, hopping over said creek into the baseball field we used to play on in C-League and climbing up one last hill to the school playground.
I took some time to pray on top of this hill that I used to frequently sit upon between baseball games, during Tom's games, or even just for the heck of it. I remembered those moments as a kid when I thought I could paint the scene before me. The trees gently rising with the hill; the houses lining the street. I have probably a hundred sketches of this painting that I was going to create one day... One day...
As children, we are so free to play, to imagine, to take delight in all things around us, to see the possibilities God might lay before us. Where does that go when we get older? Every time I heard a russle behind me at the school, I jumped. Why? Because I was afraid I would be told off for playing on a kids' playground. I was afraid that I was not doing as I was supposed to. Not behaving in a manner that I should. But, why?
Why should we not play when we become older? Why should we let our imaginations fade away?
These are the very things we need in prayer! We need to play and imagine with Scripture. We dive in placing ourselves in the midst of the text. We imagine Christ wiping the mud away from our eyes; we imagine the child Jesus in our arms; we climb the tree with Zaccheus. We play with the words of the text--what does it mean? where does it come from? what if it wasn't said? how is it said? We play with God, our Father, because we are His children. He longs for us to have the faith of a child; He longs for us to accept our roles as His children. He has invited us into His arms and if this is a way of entering into His embrace, well, count me in!
He calls us to be child-like in so many ways, but, we don't want to let ourselves become children again. Why?
I can't help but to repeat in my mind an opening line to Disney's Hercules' song "Gospel Truth I"--"Lighten up, dude!" (And then the next muse goes on to say, "We'll take it from here, darling." Then the initial narrator says in his deep baritone, "You go, girl.") But, some days, we just need to lighten up and play and imagine! Let our inner child out! Maturity does not need to be lost. Wisdom does not need to be lost. But, let your spirit delight in the joys around you, the joys which we so frequently forget to delight in as we age. Delight in the possibility of adventure! So that we may be prepared for the next adventure that God is preparing us.
God bless!
Ann
I took some time to pray on top of this hill that I used to frequently sit upon between baseball games, during Tom's games, or even just for the heck of it. I remembered those moments as a kid when I thought I could paint the scene before me. The trees gently rising with the hill; the houses lining the street. I have probably a hundred sketches of this painting that I was going to create one day... One day...
As children, we are so free to play, to imagine, to take delight in all things around us, to see the possibilities God might lay before us. Where does that go when we get older? Every time I heard a russle behind me at the school, I jumped. Why? Because I was afraid I would be told off for playing on a kids' playground. I was afraid that I was not doing as I was supposed to. Not behaving in a manner that I should. But, why?
Why should we not play when we become older? Why should we let our imaginations fade away?
These are the very things we need in prayer! We need to play and imagine with Scripture. We dive in placing ourselves in the midst of the text. We imagine Christ wiping the mud away from our eyes; we imagine the child Jesus in our arms; we climb the tree with Zaccheus. We play with the words of the text--what does it mean? where does it come from? what if it wasn't said? how is it said? We play with God, our Father, because we are His children. He longs for us to have the faith of a child; He longs for us to accept our roles as His children. He has invited us into His arms and if this is a way of entering into His embrace, well, count me in!
He calls us to be child-like in so many ways, but, we don't want to let ourselves become children again. Why?
I can't help but to repeat in my mind an opening line to Disney's Hercules' song "Gospel Truth I"--"Lighten up, dude!" (And then the next muse goes on to say, "We'll take it from here, darling." Then the initial narrator says in his deep baritone, "You go, girl.") But, some days, we just need to lighten up and play and imagine! Let our inner child out! Maturity does not need to be lost. Wisdom does not need to be lost. But, let your spirit delight in the joys around you, the joys which we so frequently forget to delight in as we age. Delight in the possibility of adventure! So that we may be prepared for the next adventure that God is preparing us.
God bless!
Ann
Comments
Post a Comment