Fifteenth Week of 2010

The theme of this week is a child. To be like one, to be with one, to be more than one.

To be like one...there was a period in my life where I prayed like a child. But cynicism and doubt crept in over time, making it impossible for me to free-style my prayers and believe in God's power to grant my prayers, especially as I began to assume that I had wisdom to know what God would/should do. Ha, silly me. The retreat this weekend helped me realize that a part of my growth in God is subjecting myself to be corrected, not always trying to do everything right on my interpretation of His wisdom.

To be with one...I like being around children. I do not really know why. Well, okay--I do know that I think and act like one at times. Also, they are so easy to please and make laugh. I thrive on making them happy because I am then happy. Not to go all Kant here, but being looked up to, listened to and smiled at make me feel alive (Okay, I am unmarried and haven't had to take care of my own kids yet, so I realize it may all change one day). And yet...it is different from making your, say, pets happy, isn't it? They are God's magnificent gifts, what you and I were only a number of years ago and soon to be like you and me. Yes, a moment spent with a child is a potential moment of magic where you may have an impact on their lives. How precious, how momentous, how heavy this responsibility is. Yet, I find that children teach me a lot when I am with them. This weekend, I was surprised by how open some children can be. How fearless they can be. How utterly dependent they can be. How selfish they can be. In so many ways, they reveal the best and worst of human nature. You can't but see a part of yourself, both good and bad, in them if you hang out with them long enough.

To be more than one...Apostle Paul talks in 1 Corinthians about infants in Christ being unable to eat solid food spiritually. I think a part of that means while praying with freedom like a child and willingness to be corrected, being thoughtful, disciplined and consistent in these prayers. Reading the Bible more and memorizing more verses, because God can use them to do His powerful work when they are inside my head rather than outside. Loving others as ourselves...something that children and adults both struggle with, but hopefully adults should be better equipped in this category.

To cap this, a juvenile humor of the day: how do you spell "I Cup"?