"It's so good to be a child." - I thought to myself.
Being a child is a common experience for everyone, and it is one of the times where most of us would be of no worries. Carefree and free as a little bird flying around, we do what we want, obviously oblivious to the people and surroundings we do the most silly things in. As we grow up, we then start to become more sophisticated in our thought and behaviours... and that's perhaps the point we cease to be a child anymore. We just can't go back.... or can we? And then I got reminded of what Jesus spoke about being a child in Luke 18 about Babies and Little Children (just 3 verses!):
The Little Children and Jesus
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” - Luke 18:15-17
I have been a part-time Baby-sitter because my Mum has been a baby sitter in the past 10-15 years of her life, having the privilege to witness 4 babies from the point of being a baby to the point where they past primary education (at least). There are times where being a Baby-sitter gives you the best joys in the world (when the Baby smiles or laughs!), and at other times you could hate it the most (when it cries non-stop,driving you nuts). I do still like little kids though, cause they are so cute sometimes. Perhaps those who have become parents would appreciate this post a lot more.
It's incredible, then how a Baby, or even a Child's emotions are summarised into two separate extremes of emotions: Laugh or Cry.
Kids nowadays are pretty smart and actually skip through their childhood into maturity wayyyyyy too fast in my opinion. Just ask my 5 year old cousin what she thinks of certain things and she can rattle on, even sound like a small adult. Not new to technological advancements like the Ipad or Iphone, PSP, computers and the internet (Oh my, even my parents dread the thought of using a computer)
Children, well.... are not as innocent as before in the past, in my days, in my parents' days. I would like to think though that in Jesus' time, kids were pretty much Kids - Little Children who were innocent and like I mentioned simple-minded and oblivious to many things, concerns, worries, and people. And we still see that in kids nowadays - just that it has been cut so ever short.
I reflected on the three verses above and thought on why, or what qualities (if you were to coin it this way) makes a Baby or a child Better in a sense that Jesus would actually say that whoever does not be like one of "those little kids" (yes, pesky little ones!) would enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
And it's perhaps best summarised in two words as well: Laugh and Cry.
1) Crying:
Little children, especially kids, Cry at EVERY (yes every!) possible scenario, it's amazing to say the least. Be it when they are Hungry, thirsty, afraid, needs attention, has poo-poo-ed or Wee-wee-ed, THEY CRY. Crying is the one single option for them to express to SOMEONE that they have something that needs to be taken care of.Obviously, little children cry to their parents, as if instinctively that their needs will be attended to (or maybe we were created that way).
Why Cry when you know nobody will come? But the little child will not know this at all, he/she just simply cries until the point they get what they need. It's incredible too how a child is totally reliant on it's parent and guardian to take care of things: Firstly, the baby can't cook or make milk for itself. Next, it can't feed itself. And then, even after feeding, infacts need to be patted on the back until they burp, in case they vomit out and choke. It can't change it's own diaper if it had poo-poo or wee-wee in it. The child just knows how to cry.
How many times in life, even after we grow up, are we going to run into situations as if we "poo-poo-ed" and need someone to take care of the situation? Countless I can assure you, and many other times that would be close calls. Who are we going to cry out to in situations like these?
There will be many things in Life that we cannot and will not be able to handle - Just like how the baby or little child can't even attend to it's own needs.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34: "...do not worry about your life... your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness....", elsewhere in Philippians 4:6, it says "Do not be anxious about anything... but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.", Psalm 55:22 also says: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you...", 1 Peter 5:7 also says. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (all from NIV translation)
God Simply wants us to cry out to Him in scenarios like these.
We don't need to handle everything to the point we are so stressed and zoned out. We are not alone even if no one is there to help us in however bad the situation is. We just need to simply realise many things are out of our hands, but is in God's Hands. We can trust God will come just as He promised to minister to us, just like how a parent would care for all the needs of a child, who can't do anything.
God wants us to come to him and the "Helplessness of a child is in fact to the child's gain". John 15:5 says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." How true, how true that the branch relies on the Vine for all it needs - How true a child relies on the parent for it's needs. God wants us to respond in this way too, He wants us to know He can be relied on for our needs.
2) Laughing:
Laughing is an emotion likewise known to all of us. It's amazing how infectious this joy can be and how a child's laughter can bring satisfaction to a parent. The simple games of "cluck-cluck tongue", "Peek-a-boo", "tickle-me", "fall from height" "piggybacks", "horse-riding" brings so much laughter and is much fun to a child who know not of the Ipads, Iphones, MacDonald Happy meals...you name it.
it's funny to the parent and on-lookers when the child tries to mimic the "clucking tongue" but never be able to do it yet, "Peek-a Boo" not knowing that they are really never hiding, and the hands are not much of a cover, "Tickle me fights" that they always LOSE, but still laugh."Fall from height" where the parent drops the child only to catch it, not knowing the danger.....It's to the child's gain that Life's simple pleasures Satisfies. The Child knows not so much worries that steals joy from it, certainly it is just simply...Happy.
Ignorance is Bliss, perhaps, but Blissfulness not always mean we have to be ignorant. We do in fact know that material things, certain pleasures that we enjoy will all cease to pass someday.We are striving for many things, thinking it would bring us Happiness. Society and Culture psycho us into suscribing to it's versions: Money brings you happiness! Having the Good Looks brings Happiness! Being Popular Brings Happiness! Being successful brings happiness! Perhaps, these things bring temporal sense of happiness, however, it will not last.
Some claim Love will not pass away. It's sad nowadays that sometimes even families fight over money. Relationships with people are now watered down versions of what they ought to be. What's the measure of Love can also be substituted with materials. Kids nowadays dare to ask their parents to buy them luxurious things, and claim they don't love them if their wants are not met.
John 15:9-11 says however that: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
There is a kind of Love that's promised to us that wouldn't pass away, and that is God's Love. He only asks us to remain in His Love for us so that our Joy may be complete. What Joy you may ask? The Joy perhaps knowing that Jesus can be your greatest friend, to go to in times of need to share your life with in times of happiness. The Joy knowing that we are loved, not because however worthy of Love we are or not, knowing we are accepted fully, however flaws we come with. The Joy you share when God does something wonderful through you by using your life to touch the lives of others...
God simply also wants us to Delight in Him. This is repeated in Nehemiah 8:10 "Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” David, a man described as after God's own heart also says in Psalm 28:7 : "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."
It amazes me how delighting in God can be a source of strength for our everyday life. Perhaps with that joy, we grow to appreciate the things in Life, rather than grumble at the things we lack. We are always lacking somehow, but we can be content.
Philippians 4:4 says not once but twice about rejoicing, and in the Lord. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
God wants us to be happy in Him because He is the source of Life, the true giver, even though sometimes we desire the gifts more than the Giver of the gifts Himself. Having Joy in God is infectious too. I have met people whose lives are turned around because of their Faith in God. No matter how troubled their situation is, they are not wallowing in self-pity, but in contrary living Lives to the fullest by turning their lives to invest into the lives of others - They become others Joy as well.
So there we have it... Cry and Laugh. The two extreme of emotions rolled into one in our egnimatic hearts. Oh, and yes,we can still choose to be little children, as God has called us His children :)
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