Better late than never?

I thought about writing a Christmas blog, but I just wasn't feeling it at the time.

I love Christmas. Like a lot. I like that I get to hang out with my family, all of us at once. That doesn't happen very often. I like buying people gifts. I like that there is a designated, although probably very wrong, day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Most scholars believe He was born in the Spring, so Christmas is more like a "happy half birthday Jesus" kinda thing if we're getting literal. And, if we're getting even more technical, Christmas didn't originate within Christian circles. It was a pagan holiday first, and was kind of adopted by early Christians. I'm not sure what I think about this, not that it really matters.

Part of me thinks it's kind of ridiculous to adopt other people's habits/customs and celebrate them as our own, changing the meaning. It's almost theft, almost dishonoring. But then another part of me thinks it's kind of cool, this whole Christmas history. I mean, there was a bit of a "revival" back in the day and what a way to be "culturally relevant". It's a lot to ask of people to abandon everything they know, and Christmas today, although it's on the same day as the original festivities, is a totally different celebration. Meh, like I said, it doesn't really matter.

Anyhow, Merry day after Christmas everyone, hope you all got to spend time with someone you love <3

I leave you with this.

Kids and how I want to be like them.

I've been thinking, kids are like a big deal in the Bible.

There's that whole "childlike faith" theme in Sunday schools and church services across the globe.
Kids are referred to as a kind of role model in Matthew and Luke.
Shoot, Jesus even came as a child.

They're a big deal.

The innocence, the purity, that wild beauty that kids harness is such a great reflection of how we are meant to be, what we were created for. Not to knock maturity in any way, growing up is a part of life and it's a good thing to act one's age.

But those qualities of being pure hearted and passionate, those are things we could stand a little more of in our adult lives.

Matthew 18: 2-4 says that we must become like children to enter into the Kingdom of God. That seems like a backwards and a very tall requirement. How does one become like a child without becoming childish?

Again, I think it points back to those lovely qualities that children have that we seem to loose a bit of as we grow older and more cinical.

Something I've noticed in kids recently is that they have no fear of being disliked. I think pretty much everyone struggles with this fear of "what if they don't like me?" or there's that classic excuse "Well they just didn't like me, that's why everything went wrong" [I know that in some cases there's a sort of bullying, but I find this personality clash argument pretty self victimizing most of the time. Maybe that's harsh, but we're all adults, if we don't "get along" with someone else that doesn't mean that they're always out to get us]

There's the "what will people think?" and the "normalized" behaviors that follow that fear.

But kids, man kids are incredible. They don't go up to someone afraid if they'll be liked. They approach life with an, "I'm here! Aren't you glad to see me?" attitude. They EXPECT to be liked, even more than that, they expect to be ENJOYED.

There's a line for sure [there always is] when this can bleed into arrogance and being all puffed up. When humility gets trampled on, it's no longer charming =P

But children have that purity so their expectations don't reek of that self importance that adults sometimes carry.

But think about how that could change our approach to God. I think it would become less of a meek and, frankly, weak relationship. I mean yes, God is way above me in every way. BUT I am His creation, He wanted me to live. Same as He wanted you and every other person on earth to live.

If we approached God with the same attitude that He created us in, that we are wanted, that we are loved and treasured, that we are enjoyed. If we expected that from God instead of always being surprised by it, it seems to me that a divine confidence and humility would logically follow.

I think about when I hang out with my mama, I know she loves me, but more than that, she likes me. She enjoys me. And that is something I've grown comfortable in, something I've come to expect. So it gives the relationship strength because the ties aren't formed on my insecurities. The relationship doesn't consist of one side or another needing to be reaffirmed constantly, because we enjoy one another.

That thought is like a clamp on my brain, God enjoys us.

Those human things that we are afraid of, we don't have to even think about with God, He's got our backs!

I think these kiddos are on to something here =).