"People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. “Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Luke 18:15-17
Over the years with sweet Braiden I've learned a lot concerning what children are all about and the verse above has become more clear to me. God wants us to be like children, but how? So many people, including me, have experienced lots and lots of emotional wounds that sometimes cause our hearts to feel calloused and bruised and totally removed from the child in us. We may have completely forgotten what it was like to have a heart like a child. However, I don't think this verse would be in the Bible if God didn't know for a fact that it is possible to for us to gain that heart back. With that said, here are my observations…
First of all, children trust so easily. Braiden knows that his needs AND the desires of his heart will be met. If he is hungry, he asks for food knowing that he will be given something to eat. In the same way, if he happens to deeply desire a Chuggington train for Christmas, he can probably rest assured that either mommy, "Aunt Warla" (thats ME!), or Grandma and Grandpa, or Santa 😉 will give him one if not MORE than one! (hehe TRUE story!!) When a need is met or a gift is given, it results in more trust and deeper relationship.
Children are natural dreamers and have lots of confidence in those dreams. Braiden has told me he wants to be a "pilot like Grandpa so he can fly all over the world, a firefighter so he can put out fires and save people, a race car driver like Lightning McQueen, and the list goes on and on. He firmly believes he can be all those things and he constantly comes up with new ideas. He sees no obstacles. He simple believes he is capable.
Children aren't afraid to ask questions. Enough said?
Children love those who love them. I admit, I'm one of those "huggy people". I just am. I think Braiden must pick up on that. He loves to snuggle with me, hold my hand, kiss my cheek and say, "I wuv you Warla". He knows he is deeply loved by me and he is never afraid to love back.
I know there are countless things we can learn from a child, but what I want to learn most is how to be like one. I want trusting my father in heaven to be natural and easy. I want to go to him more with my needs and my desires knowing full well that he will not leave me hanging. He will not neglect me or set me aside. I want to trust him not only for what I need, but not feel guilty about asking him for things I simply want.
I want to dream freely. Actually, preparing for this trip of a lifetime is an exercise of that for sure! I actually am learning that the more my testimony of His provision and grace grow, the deeper I trust and love Him. However, I want to trust more. I want to believe every day, every hour if need be, that no obstacle can get in the way of God's perfect and beautiful plan for me. I want to believe I am capable because He goes before me and behind me and prepares the way.
I want to always have the confidence to ask Him questions and invite Him into my process.
Most importantly, I want to love like a child. I want to love on God like He loves on me. Afterall, I can only love Him beccause He first loved me. Loving Him is a natural response to His outpouring of love that cannot be gained or earned. So I want to acknowledge Him and all His goodness and let my worship flow in whatever way my heart moves me, with childlike trust, and without fear.
"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:15-19 NASB)
