Think.
Think back to when you were a child.
How did you see the world?
How relentless were you in getting what you desired?
How much energy did you contain that could not be harnessed?
How deep was the presence of trust and vulnerability in you?
How many worries flooded your mind on a daily basis?
How many times did you fail when learning new lessons and how many unintentional incidents taught you lessons you never intended to learn?
This past week of my life was spent with my spirit being crashed by waves of the African coast and the eyes of 60 orphans. Each day my team and I pulled on sandy, damp, wetsuits and jumped into the Atlantic with surf boards and orphans, fully inspired to help them learn the basic fundamental ropes of surfing. However, what transpired was more. It was deeper. It was humbling.
The first child I was partnered with was a small, little boy, probably 6 or 7 years old. We had our first instructional demonstration then darted off towards the waters. Once in, the boy jumped flat onto the surfboard and I guided him out into the rocking waters. After a few hand motions and gestures on what to do (for I don’t speak Arabic and he doesn’t speak English), I turned his board around to face the shore. The perfect wave started rolling in and at just the right time I pushed the surfboard to be taken away with it. In that moment, something in my heart absolutely shifted. I saw the pure innocence of being a child. I began shouting and cheering for him to paddle and to stand up on the board and the next thing I know, he is surfing on his very first wave! I ran as fast as I could, splashing violently in the water to get to him before he fell off. As soon as he was in the water, I was there, reaching for his hand. The astonished look on his face turned to the greatest excitement I have ever seen in a child. I pulled him in, proudly proclaiming how great he did! We gave each other high fives and laughed together as we headed back out to capture our next wave.
God spoke to my heart in that moment. To be childlike is not only having a childlike faith, or only a childlike trust. Rather it is an all encompassing walk with Him. To be childlike is to have maintain the fervent desire to pursue Him constantly regardless of the waves rolling in, allowing the tides to come and to pass. It is allowing ourselves to be pursued by Father, for He is the greatest pursuer of our hearts. It is looking at each day with an awe-inspiring perception, a fearless attitude, a mind free of worry, and a willingness to be molded and shaped into His creation.
Now think again.
How is Abba pursuing you and in return, how are you pursuing Him? Is it with the wide-eyed excitement and relentlessness of a child learning to surf, with the willingness to fall off the board so you can eventually learn to stand? Is it with a heart full of trust, free from worry and full of expectation that our Pursuer will be there to keep us swimming above the waves of unknown depths?
In our pursuits of Abba, we come alive. Our pursuit of Father with childlike intentions is where we find the adventures, where we swim into deeper depths, where we find our identities to continually grow into them, and where we truly live as fervent children.
“Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” -Mark 10:14-15
“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” -1 John 5:4
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Bethany
P.S. I’ll put some pictures or a video highlighting this past month up soon!!! Miss all of you and love each of you!
