Love like a child...

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  

Matthew 18:3

In the world today, we have become a people of instant gratification.  We wonder why friends didn’t respond to our facebook posts within minutes of uploading our latest selfie.  We can no longer comprehend a world without cell phones attached to everyone’s hips, available to talk 24/7.  We can’t even make it through a date talking to each other because we are too busy texting our friends letting them know what an awesome time we are having.  Friendships have been whittled away to simply pressing a button to “like” another’s post.  The art of conversation has died as we find it easier to have our faces buried in the latest and greatest technology than to look someone in the eyes and listen to their story unfold.  Despite all this, I still find that the greatest glimpses of wisdom may take decades of patience to understand.

It wasn’t until the past couple weeks, being a new father, that I have come to truly understand what Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 18:3.  Alice Jane is a beautiful healthy baby and in getting to know her and interact with her I have made a few observations.  Most of her clothes have come from Wal-Mart, she doesn’t care because they keep her warm.  She doesn't care what type of vehicle she is riding in, only that it keeps her feeling safe.  She doesn’t care what show she might miss on the widescreen, flatscreen, LED, bluetooth enabled, wifi television because she would rather be held, looking us in the eyes.  She doesn’t know what is trending on twitter, or has gone viral on youtube because she would rather be touched.  She doesn’t know how to judge, or boast, or lie, or gossip, or ridicule.  She forgives repeatedly (I have asked for her forgiveness several times as I learn what I am doing) and the only language she currently understands is love.  

She, like everyone else, wants her basic needs met first.  Once those have been tended to, the only other thing she requires is love.  She particularly likes her love served unconditionally, and we respond and give our love freely.

So what have I learned, what is this bit of wisdom that has been revealed?  It is that we must be more like this child in our daily lives.   We must push away all the other gods the world has created that can consume and fill our lives.  We concern ourselves too often with material things that we can possess in an attempt to feel complete.  The reality is that if we were more like this child, then our lives would be complete if they were filled one simple thing...Love.  And only God has enough for everyone.