childlike

I was at my family’s place in Nashville around the fourth of July this year. They graciously moved up our family get together by a day since I was traveling to Canada the actual holiday. But as the food kept coming, kids running around everywhere, laughter, singing, music playing… I was taken back to when I was a kid and our family get together’s.

The smells of Thai food wafted through the entire house combined with a little this and a little that. All of us salivating and ready to bless the food and EAT! Looking at the array of food presented before us- pesto pizza, Thai chicken BBQ, mac-n-cheese, potato salad, quinoa salad, broccoli salad, berries & whipped cream, Oreo chocolate chip brownie (its like crack!), chocolate pie, peach cobbler, and I am sure I missed some things

The feast before us… We were reminded of the feast waiting for us in heaven. The banquet table, the wedding feast, our Father has prepared for us will be beyond what we could ever imagine. We all can’t wait to partake!

After dinner, we gathered all the kids in the front yard. Adults were plopped in their chairs- drinks in hand- kids running in the big front yard, soaked from the days rain.

Uncle Dave has the fireworks set up in the yard.

Bottle rockets, sparklers, long sparklers, big boomers, whistlers, and more were set up waiting for the kiddos to come- the only time for adult supervised playing with fire.  I am not sure who is more excited- the kids or Dave!

Eyes wide- glows of sparklers flying everywhere- clouds of colored smoke- kids squealing- adults laughing…

I was standing back with my cousin watching everything play out- almost in slow motion…

As I watched Dave playing with the kids I was reminded how he use to take the time and do this with us when we were kids. He hasn’t changed in this for 20 years. His eyes light up with the same amount of joy & a smile is plastered across his face while he gets to experience the pleasure and excitement with each kid as they hold sparklers.

“Isn’t it neat that even though 2 decades have passed, Dave is still just as excited to do fireworks just like when we were kids? I am not sure who is more excited… Dave or the kids.”

How refreshing it is to see an adult who understands the capacity to be as a child. If only more of us could play as a child plays, sing like a child sings, dance like a child dances, love as a child loves, and believe as a child believes… unashamed & uninhibited by what people think. Isn’t that what we are told in scripture- “unless you change & become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

What if we became more childlike… had

childlike faith... how would it look… what would change…