“Become Like Children” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
Job spoke out and said: Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, “The child is a boy! Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth, like babes that have never seen the light? (Job 3:2-3,11,16)
Let my prayer come before you, Lord. (Psalm 88:3)
He called a child over, placed it in (the disciples’) midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-3)
Piety
Lord, help this calculating, careful adult to be open to childlike love for You.
Study
If you are any kind of a hockey fan in the DC area, you know the name Leni Oshie. Leni is the two-year-old daughter of Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, and she is A Thing. Check out this link to see Leni embracing pasta with gusto. If that’s not enough, visit mom Lauren Oshie’s Instagram feed to see Leni with ice cream, Leni with chocolate, Leni with pretty much everything. She’s always fully engaged, fully present. Older sister Lyla is lovely too, of course, but she’s on her way to becoming a young lady. Leni’s still a child, with all the intensity and joy that come with that stage of life.
If you are any kind of a parent or grandparent anywhere, you probably have some photos and videos like this of the little ones you love too. You keep them on your phone to show to people and maybe share them on your social media feeds, and you get a lot of likes and sweet comments, even if you and your family are not as well-known as the Oshies.
Why is that? Maybe it’s because everything is new and exciting to them—pasta, pets, toes, noses, you name it. Even the shyest of children will give you that big smile when they love you when they trust that new experience isn’t going to be anything bad.
As adults, our journey through this world includes a lot of bumps and not a few bruises. We learn to be cautious, to be risk-averse. That’s all well and good, I suppose. But we shortchange ourselves when we take that guarded attitude into our relationship with the Lord. We still will get hurt from time to time. But when we come to Him like children, always confident in His love despite those bumps and bruises, we are fearless. We can do anything for Him and with Him.
Action
The Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment begins tomorrow in Rome. Pray for the attendees. Pray for the staff. Pray for the body of Christ.
Image credit: gustavorezende, https://pixabay.com/en/kids-drawing-scribble-lines-girl-3171905/.
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