Things I wish I hadn’t Grown Out Of;
A Non-Comprehensive Thought
I am now at the age that would be considered an “adult,” although I must admit I feel like an imposter most days. I find myself yearning for the freedom, naivety, and homecooked meals of childhood.
After ten years or so of working with children and youth, I have realized there are specific opportunities that we are asked to give up as “adults” that seem to do me more harm than good. Sure, eating cake for dinner isn’t a healthy life choice (trust me, I have tried), but there is a principal there that we can glean hope and peace from!
As I try to navigate this thing, they call “adulthood,” I am reminded of how Jesus spoke about children. He did not push them aside, ignore, or urge them to “grow up” to become a part of His kingdom. He recognized the importance of their minds, hearts, and simplistic look at faith.
This is the youthful character trait I find myself chasing these days. In the midst of an overwhelming, and the seemingly unending whirlwind of political, economic, and societal unrest, I desire the simplicity of childhood thought.
As adults, we assume that a complicated and convoluted response is the only way to approach these BIG issues. We do this often in our faith; we complicate, dissect, and drown in the theological debate of semantics, all without ever reaching an answer.
My thoughts bring me to a question. “What if we were to reclaim the simplicity of childhood thought?”
I believe that children approach faith with the fervor, earnestness, and love that I am seeking to emulate, that I once had and had been asked to give up for a more “adult” mind frame.
I am encouraged by this – We can approach God as children; we can fumble and stutter our way through a conversation with Him. We get to be proud and excited and trusting in His presence. He is our Father, and He loves us. It’s pretty simple.
Next time you sit down, with the weight of the day resting heavily on your shoulders, think about the simple answer. God loves you, He cares for you, and He works all things out for good. Fight the urge to complicate, solve, and strategize the solution and simply let the Father hold the answers.
