Mark 10:13-16 "People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."
This passage was always special when I was a child, but it's even more profound now that I'm older. Oh, to see the world through the eyes of a 5-year-old! Their scope of time, satisfaction in little things (like silly faces or funny noises), dependence on others... we have a lot we can learn from little ones. I just spent over 3 hours babysitting a little girl who was completely entertained by her imagination alone! Her array of "sisters" and friends all over the house, the different planets she was from, the variety of languages she spoke (including cotton-candy and Texas!), and the amount of time she could spent dancing in one room to her own music just amazed me! She didn't need to be watching a movie, playing a board game, or even doing a craft to have fun. She found joy in being herself.
I remember an hour feeling like a lifetime when I was little. And one whole day- well that was an eternity! Now, I'm constantly checking my schedule tyring to remember what I have planned next... I frequently forget to stop and just be. The little kids I know don't often discuss their upcoming agenda... they do relate humorous stories of the past few days or things they saw an hour earlier, but they don't constantly await the next thing on their to-do list. They just enjoy the moment! I love the phrase Carpe Diem ("seize the day"), but it's almost counterintuitive to actually live with this mindset (at least for me... it's probably easy for some to take this idea to the other exteme and only "live in the moment" without having any concept of future consquences). Which side do you fall on?
Tonight I was also reminded to find joy in little things. One funny face or slightest hint of an alien voice and S burst into hysterical laughter! It often takes a little more than that to make me laugh. Now, I'm not saying we should all have a 5-year-old's sense of humor, but perhaps we could at least appreciate the joy that kids find in the silliest of things (even when we don't find them funny). I'm learning to enjoy watching others laugh and be encouraged by their outward display of inward joy... I often get annoyed when people laugh at things I don't think are necessarily funny, but maybe I could just be glad they are having a good time and personally find joy in their satisfaction.
Back to the verses, though... one application of this passage relates to our willingness to be dependent. Kids know they need help reaching the cup, tying their shoes, brushing their teeth, remembering their homework... and they aren't afraid to ask for help. Of course, they will/should exercise more and more indepence as they grow, but they aren't afraid of relying on someone else. They don't see it as a sign of weakness as we do. I think there's a difference in knowing your limitations and being wise about asking for guidance versus allowing yourself to wallow in selfish dependence on others for things you are capable of doing.
Well, I could ramble for a lot longer, but I won't. Remember... if you haven't spent any time around children lately, you should! We can learn from everyone!
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