The Faith of a Child, What is Delight, Part II

I have so many things going through my mind today. I love it when the Lord floods my mind with good thoughts.  (That is a subject coming up soon). I had something else I was going to share but couldn't quite get started.  I learned long ago that when the Lord is in a "thing," it is not labor intensive in the spiritual sense because His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.   

Then, I got a call from a dear friend in Hawaii who had read the blog yesterday.  She wanted to share with me that as she was reading about the allusion to a child's excitement, the Lord brought to mind the importance of having the faith of a child not just to please Him but to actually enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:3).  

I begin thinking, "What is it about a child that is so important to our ability as adults to honor God and even be accepted by Him in the first place?" Well, I want you to know dear friends, that subject could fill a book.  

I won't even be able to touch the surface of it in a short blog; but I can say a couple of things. I work with one of the most wonderful people I have ever known. She is the VP of our department and has a doctorate in Early Childhood Education.  I never looked at children with such joy and wonderment until I saw them through her eyes.  

Think about it. They are little scientists, always searching and testing, then telling about what they have learned with excitement.  Even an infant sees a bright color, a new toy, or learns a new word, and eyes grow bright.  Mary will say, "children haven't been in the world so long that everything isn't still a new, learning experience."  

They are trusting; but children also have an inherent sense about something or someone that isn't quite right, so they are perceptive.  They have a purity and innocence about them because they haven't been in the world long enough for its impurities to taint their hearts.  And----my favorite characteristic of a child---each one is genuine.  

They learn pretense, but they have such a genuineness about them.  They say what they are thinking.  That's one of things the Lord was talking about when He said as we mature we should put away childish things.  We learn to have a filter.  But not children.  

Like the time I visited one of our preschool classrooms, a cute little boy ran up to me and said, "whose grandma are you?" Hrmph - out of the mouths of babes. (If you are laughing, you shouldn't be.  It ain't no fun being called a grandma unless you are one. If you know me, you know I laughed). 

I will also never forget when my two year old great nephew, Sam, came to visit us for Easter.  I took our little Westie out to do her business, and Sam had to come with me.  Her poop hadn't even completely hit the ground before he stepped in it with his new Easter shoes.  Being the adult, I got my filter on just in time to say, "Dang it, Sam, you stepped in dog crap (instead of the "s" word which I shouldn't ever say, right?). I took off that shoe and brought him back into the house.  His mother immediately said, "Sam, where is your shoe?"  To which he gleefully replied with clapping hands, "I stepped in dog 'cwap.'" The family sternly rebuked me for teaching him a bad word.  They didn't realize I was very proud I hadn't taught a much worse form of that word to my sweet Sam that day.  They rebuked.  I was rejoicing.  Whew!!

So think with me, now.  They search and discover with delight (treating as a rare gift - remember thoughts from yesterday?); they are pure, innocent, trusting, perceptive, genuine, and so much more that pleases the heart of God.  We cannot ever approach the Lord Jesus with pride, deception, or lack of trust and expect that He hears our voice.  Those things actually destroy our communication with Him.  If I can approach each daily opportunity, task, relationship or situation with God's wisdom because i have approached Him with a pure, trusting, genuine heart, then His yoke will be easy, and His burden will be light. The result, I will have peace and joy. I am all about easy, light, peace and joy.  How about you?  Approaching the day with joy - Mecca

PS - I promise - these will not get any longer, and I will actually work on keeping them shorter.