Being Child-like

Sometimes you can hear an important phrase so many times that you pay it no attention, it becomes too familiar, something you no longer notice. This morning as I was getting ready for work, I was listening to The Morning Cruise on the Joy FM, as I usually do. Today Carmen, a morning DJ,

shared a devotion about being a child of God. She also shared how she could be a willful child at times-trying to do things her way instead of God’s.

I identified with what she was saying, being willful from birth myself. Although I knew the scriptures that talked about being a child of God and could even quote them, at that moment God brought me a greater understanding about what being God’s child might mean.

I’ve been a mama for a very long time, over thirty-three years. During that time my kids have done things that I wished they hadn’t, things that frustrated me, aggravated me, and if I get honest- made me very mad. In the midst of my harshest anger, never did I stop loving my child. In fact, if you, as an outsider, questioned my child’s behavior I would have stood by them and defended them in spite of their wrongs- for they are my child. The mama bear in me would fight any enemy for them, not based on what they have done for me, but because they are mine.

I guess I have a better understanding of unconditional love than the idea that I am God’s child. This morning as God brought to mind my unconditional love for my children, he showed me that he feels that way about me. Nothing I have done could ever change that love.

I guess my problem in accepting myself as a ‘child of god’ has something to do with it being such a long time since I felt like a child. In fact, I have a hard time remembering being child-like, without a care in the world. I have equated child-like with irresponsibility- which should not be the case. I decided today that I need to focus of being the loved child that I am, not based on what I do, but because of whose I am. Instead of skimming over scriptures that tell me I am a child of God, I need to believe them, practice them, and embrace them.

As I imagined what being a child would be like (since I really cannot remember being one) I came up with a list of sorts to help me to be child-like:

Children trust. A child does not worry that it might not be cared for by the parent until it is taught to do so. The child just expects love and care from the parent.

Children explore and learn. A child takes their first steps and stumbles knowing that the parent will pick them up and encourage them to try again. They don’t allow the fear of failure stop their efforts; they know failing is part of learning.

Children laugh a lot. My eighteen-month-old grandson is a spontaneous laugher. Even when nothing is funny he will laugh. We all need to laugh more.

Children have fun. Children have a natural tendency to always look for something to enjoy and will move on from something that is not fun and try other things until they find enjoyment.

Children dare to dream. They pretend. They imagine. They are not busy looking around at the reality of the now that they cannot imagine something different.

I have decided to take some time to practice these things. Maybe this fifty-four-year-old child can feel more loved and protected by her heavenly father and remember being child-like is not irresponsible, but is what I am called to be. Maybe today I will hop on a swing and feel the breeze in my hair as I soar free as a child.