If I could be any age forever…
Option 1 would be 4. Think about it… your job is to play all day long and enjoy life in the sense that you see beauty in the small stuff. Joy is all around you. Giving and getting love is your prerogative. Anyone else’s philosophies or theologies don’t indoctrinate 4 year olds. They just accept what is… as truth. No if, ands, or buts about it. They don’t question life they just live. They live to the full in the capacity they are allowed to. Faith like a child is what I desire. Faith where you live each day with complete faith, hope, joy, and love. Without question…
Before I keep going let me tell you a story about a boy named Juan who lives here in Panajachel. While we are working on our second house, which is in the middle of a narrow alleyway, a curious young kid came up to us and asked (in Spanish) what we were doing and said his name was Juan. Although Juan and I speak different languages, communication with him is super easy. I asked him how old he was (in the broken Spanish I am starting to pick up) and he told me 10 and asked me how old I was. When he approached us I immediately was drawn to him. I guess you could say maybe kids are my niche and this was the first time since I have been here that I really have been able to chill with kids. This kid had immense joy. I had to get back to work, but before I knew it Juan was back with 6 of his friends. He was so anxious to introduce us to all of them and tell us all their ages. He couldn’t wait to share with us and even help us with whatever we needed to get done. He willingly volunteered to hammer a nail or carry wood over to Sean once it was cut. Just hanging out with him and his friends brought so much joy.
Sydnee brought a baseball on the trip and brought that out to play catch with them. That enthralled them! Although they did throw it over the barbed wire fence twice, that we had to go jump the to get the ball back, they had so much untainted joy. I was so blessed to hang out with these kids that day. And then day 2 of working on Marvin’s house came along and again Juan came back ready and willing to work. Juan had faith that we would come back, even without us telling him we would be there. He has so much hope in life, although he has nothing. This hope is evident in his joy. I have also noticed his observance in the little things. Things he asks about people that most people just overlook. Today as we were waiting for Ben to get to our work sight Juan met us there.
As we sat on the ledge he sat in quiet observation. He saw my necklace, which my roommate Kellsey gave to me before I left for this crazy adventure to remind me of what I am here for (By the way Kellsey, thank you again so much for that amazing gift you gave me for this trip on top of everything else you have done for me… you are amazing!). On the front of the necklace it is inscribed with the word love. On the back it says “Ahavah Agape” which is love in Hebrew and Greek in accordance with the greatest commandment. Juan pointed out my necklace and read it… he stated that word “Love” with power and you could just tell he knew exactly the weight of its context. After he noticed my necklace (which means a lot to me) he noticed my tattoo on my wrist, which is in white ink of “Agape” in Greek again. I told him what it meant. I got that tattoo as a reminder for myself to constantly love as Jesus loves and for him to notice it was a big deal since no one really notices’ considering it is in white ink. He also it helping me learn Spanish. Who would have guessed I would learn Spanish from a street kid in Panajachel, Guatemala?
Juan brings me back to my original thought of faith like a child. In Matthew 11:25 Jesus proclaimed, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father for this was your good pleasure.” Through watching Juan and his young friends (youngest was 4 a year old named Billy) I have seen how God really does reveal a type of joy that is not evident in the wise and learned. For this joy is pure and untainted. This joy is selfless and uplifting to those of us who have seen the world in its raw form. So what do I do about this, how do I now react to this childlike faith with where I am at. The disciples asked the same question to Jesus during his ministry. The disciples asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” A key point for all of us to remember. Lower yourselves and become like a child. Don’t get caught up in religion, legalism, doctrinal debates, etcs. Just become like a child and love full- heartedly!
Since I cannot be 4 forever, I will choose to live in the now and pour out my life experience, knowledge, and wisdom… while having the humility of a child. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a [wo]man, I put my childish ways behind me. Now we see a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Think on this. My head cannot even get its mind around it
Much love
