Kids can get away with so much.
Whether it is because they are adorable or because we can chalk it up to their innocence, they are able to do things that are unthinkable to adults. The small child that escapes the proper place in the church pew and scampers toward the front of the church is often met with smiles, even if the bishop is offering Mass. A few weeks ago, a child at an audience with Pope Francis ran to the front and when the Swiss Guards tried to block him, the pope welcomed him forward.
They also seem to have the freedom to just ask for things. My nephew once saw some money sitting on my parents’ counter and, after clarifying that it was indeed money, asked if he could have $40. Children are quick to ask for food (even if it is the food you are eating), a drink from your water bottle, and anything else that might be slightly weird for an adult to request.
Yet there is such freedom in their general disposition. A freedom that is nearly enviable when one considers how they present their needs and desires to those capable of actualizing them. It made me consider how freeing it would be to approach God the Father in that way. What would it be like to truly be His child, with all of the fidelity and trust found in the hearts of the little ones?
I was at a prayer meeting a few weeks ago and as we praised and prayed, we were striving to enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost courts of God. As we rested in the peace and presence of the Lord, I imagined myself to be a little child of about three or four. Slipping past the guards and the curtains, I found myself in the dwelling place of the Lord. Small and uninhibited, I could present all of my cares and concerns to the Lord. The guards couldn’t be too angry–I was only a child. Too innocent and naive to know I shouldn’t do something, I was given a free pass to slip into the Lord’s sanctuary without worry or fear. Children have the luxury of being able to just be without thought of the consequences or precautions they should take.
How hard it is for adults to do the same thing. We worry about things that we cannot possibly change or alter.
And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Luke 12:25-26
On the brink of this new year, I want to delve into a greater filial trust of the Father. God cares most about my life, far beyond my parents, siblings, co-workers, or friends. He most greatly desires my good: shouldn’t I entrust everything to Him? This ought to be my Year of Trust. A year of intentionally falling into His faithful hands, emptying my heart of any self-reliance I might have fearfully stored up. He must increase and I must decrease. Because when I mistakenly make myself the arbiter of my life than I will naturally feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unsteady. I cannot sustain myself and I am continually surprised by how many lessons it takes for me to truly learn this truth.
He is Good, He is Faithful, He Provides. May this be the hymn of my heart in this new year.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:32-34
Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash
Seeking After His Heart 