Become Like Little Children

​I was sitting in Meeting this past Sunday and was holding my own children in the light as well as my friends kids and two thoughts simultaneously popped into my head: 

• Math 18:3 "“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
• 1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

How am I supposed to hold these two disparate thoughts?  

I sat, centered down and asked for guidance.  Here is what came.  

I'd read this story about quantum physics.  This thing about quantum physics that a photon can somehow be two places at once. Something about parallel universes being created.   That seemed kind of unbelievable to me, but the more I think about it the more it seems possible.  There are many things that happen at the same time and make no sense.  I love my cat, but she drives me nuts. It's gonna take a shrink to figure that one out, but I digress. 

When I look at my 20 year old daughter I can't help but see her 2 year old self.  In fact, there were many times when I was really upset with her that that  2 year old self of hers kept her love alive in my heart.  Even when I see her now, I know that two year old is still in there.  Every once and a while it sneaks out and plays with Papa.  

And this is what is at the heart of these two passages.  We don't change.  I mean, yes, we grow up and have to do grown up stuff like doing the dishes, paying the bills, stacking wood, opening the mail, shoveling snow and 100 other really boring things, but inside there is the 2 year old.  

I saw it when I saw my daughter.  Her kid self has the ability to pop out.  I'm 30 years older than she is and it is harder for me to connect with my kid self -- but I know its still in there. 

The verse from 1 Corinthians doesn't say we should abandon entirely childish things.  in fact, I'd argue that the world would be a much better place if we stayed in touch with some of the qualities that make us more human.  How would the quality of your life and the world change if we were more connected to: 

• play
• joy
• love 
• kindness
• awe 
• wonder
• laughter 
• acceptance 
• dancing 
• giggles 
• snuggles 
• fun

Now the world clearly wants to advocate for more opening of letters and such, but God is clear about what is important.  GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR KID SELF.  We were never asked to abandon it as we took on adult challenges.  

Joseph Olejak