"Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child's eye - it is very beautiful." --K. Satyarthi
Simplicity. Doesn't the word itself feel like a breath of fresh air? So often our lives seem like a complicated web of undone to-do lists, tangled relationships, and unmanagable schedules. I think we all can acknowledge that often overextend ourselves and wearily long for the sweet simplicity of straightforward plans and feasible agendas!
"Higher, Daddy!!" A little girl squeals with joy as she soars through the air, small hands clenched tightly onto the chains of the swing. She feels a total sense of peace and invicibility as she flies through the air. Her long brown hair catches in the wind, whipping around her face in a blur as the world below her flashes by. Up here there is nothing but sky and a settled sense of security. She knows that just as surely as her swing lowers to the ground, it will be pushed back up again by her father's gentle, strong hand. She feels utterly content. Happy. Free.
When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind. – Patrick Rothfuss
So often we get caught up in the complexities of our day to day lives, easily overlooking the rhythm of our regular routines. We wake up each day and reach for our morning cup of coffee. We snatch our keys off the counter, hop into our cars and switch into reverse. We arrive to work, log into our computers and immediately get caught up in the stress all around us. All of this happens while totally taking for granted the basic life functions we perform each day! We know that the sun will rise and set each morning, whether we worry about it or not. Businesses open, cars fill the roads, and each day starts afresh regardless of how ready we feel to face it. To a certain degree, there is something refreshing about not contemplating every single move we make. Yet it is so easy to slip into taking everyday blessings for granted. We may not realize how much we have until it is taken away.
When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments — tenderness for what he is and respect for what he may become. - Louis Pasteur
One of the most fascinating things to me over the past couple years has been watching how children have adapted to the constant changes. It has seemed like every moment new mandates and policies have been thrown into place. Yet through it all, children have not questioned that the most important things in their lives will stay the same. They still have their friends and family, even if they do have to talk to them through Facetime. They still have dinner on the table, even if other groceries like clorox wipes and toilet paper rolls are hard to come by. They still have life, health, and each other, even if the world around them seems to be falling apart.
I think we could all learn from the sweet simplicity with which children face each day. Owen doesn't go to bed wondering what new mandates are going to appear the next morning, what the gas prices will be, or whether some new viral variant will appear on the headlines. This isn't to say that these things aren't important, but it does point to the fact that God is in control of each and every one of these details, whether we consciously think about them or not. We could all stand to be reminded of the basic truths that will not change, not matter what twists and turns our lives have to offer.
We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it. - George Eliot
Children capture and hold onto the simple joys of life in such a poignant way. There is nothing quite like the unencumbered, blissful laughter of a child. Working at a children's hospital has brought me a fresh perspective on the beauty of childhood and the simple, heartfelt trust with which kids face each day. The imaginative wonder with which children behold the world around them is so pure. With this worldview, the little pleasures of life become far more enjoyable, and every moment becomes a gift and an opportunity. The future is seen through a lens of hope, excitement, and trust, instead of fear, anxiety, and doubt.
While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. – Angela Schwindt
Even when a child is terrified of some new procedure or a nasty dose of medicine, they somehow have an innate sense that we want what is best for them. They may not always acknowledge it, but that trust is still there. I remember holding a child down for an IV as he wailed and protested loudly the entire time. Yet when it was over, he stood up quietly and thanked us politely, tears still pouring down his little cheeks. It was so pitiful and sweet, but it also made me wonder at the childlike trust and dependency this little boy had. He knew we were hurting him momentarily with the ultimate goal of making him "feel better." The pain was now in the past, and what mattered was that right now he was okay.
What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it was a wonder. It was not merely a world full of miracles, it was a miraculous world. - G.K. Chesterton
Sadly, for many, pain is not a thing of the past. There is so much hurt in our world right now, and it cannot be ignored. How do we approach the hopelessness that rises in the hearts of so many? Fear is an emotion that has overwhelmed the childlike trust and dependency that once filled us with peace. It is in our darkest moments, that we most need to cling to the truth that the source and object of our trust will never change. God has promised that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who loved us as children of the past is the God Who sees and guides our future.
We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future. - Franklin D. Roosevelt
I love reading about how Jesus approaches children in the Bible. Surely if the Son of God Himself had time to engage with the little ones around Him, we can learn from His encounters with them! Mark 10:13-16 says, "And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. -Tom Robbins
No matter how old we are, we will ALWAYS be children of God. We must continually seek to engage in the childlike trust and dependency which Jesus so tenderly welcomes and encourages in His disciples. There is nothing wrong with wholeheartedly throwing ourselves upon the strength of our Heavenly Father who knows every moment of our past, present, and future. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart." Hold onto the sweet simplicity and peace that comes from trusting in this precious promise. Only Jesus can truly know us and what He has in store for us, but what more could we ask for?
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