grow down!

Do you ever miss being a kid? Not a teeanger, but a kid - the age where your worries were small compared to what they are now. No concerns about bills (unless they were platapus bills), or relationships (unless you were going to miss a play-date), or career (unless it was telling everyone you wanted to be a ____________ when you grew up).

I miss it all the time. The freedom from 'responsibility' as it were. No expectations of you except to do your chores and be nice to your siblings.

I think children were naturally attracted to Jesus. I know a few people like that to whom kids just gravitate. I think Jae is one of them. I think children saw Jesus and came running, laughing and squealing and telling him, "This-this-this one time..." I'll bet Jesus revelled in it. I'll bet the smile that spread across his face radiated for miles. I'll bet it reminded him a lot of heaven. The unabashed reciprocation of his love and excitement.

I love how many times in the Bible, Jesus tells his disciples to 'grow down.' When everyone else is telling people they need to 'grow up' and 'act more like an adult', Jesus is saying, 'Don't. Don't grow up. Grow down. Love me like these kids love me - unabashedly and excitedly. I don't want a bunch of intellectuals and philosophers who have analyzed their faith to the point that the can separate it from their emotions. I want my kids. You're God's kids and because of me, you're not in trouble anymore. Your 'time-out' is over. And you're being rewarded!'

This is the most beautiful irony I could ever think of. The closer you get to God, the younger you become. So much for all the beauty solutions being offered on TV. There's no better plastic surgery than an intimate relationship with God!

Today's passage is about the disciples asking Jesus who is the greatest in heaven. I wonder how long they'd been debating this point: 'Well, God is certainly the greatest and I'm sure Jesus ranks right up there, but we've been pretty rockin' at this disciple thing. I mean, we gotta be up there on the scale. At least get us a golden street named after each of us.' So they finally decide to ask Jesus. He doesn't tell them what they think they should hear. He tells them they have to change and become more like children.

Children are the greatest in heaven. But why? Well, why not? They are completely dependent on their parent (in this case, God), and they don't have an adult's inhibitions about intimacy. Adults like to keep everyone at arms length. I know I do this all the time. We've experienced hurt, so we don't want to get too close to people for fear that they will hurt us too.

But we never have to worry about being hurt by God. We can throw ourselves into his arms with abandon, whether it be out of excitement, out of sorrow, or out of pain. And just like mom's kiss can make any boo-boo better, God's touch can heal even our deepest wounds.

Being like a child does not mean we have to be immature. But maturity doesn't require bitterness, untrusting feelings or stand-offishness towards God (or even other people for that matter).

Man, I just can't get over what a cool thought that is - the more you let God love you, the younger you become.

I think I'm gonna try it.