So what does it mean to become as little children? Is it merely a return to an earlier, less polluted human state? Is it about cultivating childlike qualities like goodness, obedience, humility, and dedication? Or is it way deeper than that?
A recent divorce, and subsequent career questions, have left me wondering how to trust God more completely with important decisions — seeing Him as the only creator. I’ve always tried to make things happen — to build my life and career according to human logic. Sometimes, I notice that things unfold beautifully. I’m effortlessly good at those things that just “fall into my lap.”
Others, things get so tangled I can barely remember why I got involved in the first place. How can we learn to tell the difference before we commit our time and energy?
I’m closer to a Radical Trust in God than I ever was. This, I think, is what Jesus meant by “become as little children.”
So I’m asking: how can we really put everything in God’s hands? To recognize one parent Mind as creator - and simply rejoice in that creation?
Carlos Machado, June 2012
Related Bible citations
Matthew 18:3 Matthew 19:14 Mark 10:14-15 Luke 18:16
Related songs, stories & reviews
Free from child abuse by Kate Bailey and Ginny Luedeman
Flying high by Laurance Doyle
Beggar’s repast by Tabea Mangelsdorf
Share Radical Acts Download the flyer
Topics: Creativity, Purity
A friend and I went to play music in the park this Saturday. This is something I had been thinking about for a while, but just hadn’t happened. My motive was mostly to understand what it feels like to be a street performer, but also to just do the thing I love without the distractions of money, a venue, or even an expectation of us being there.
Now, so you get the right picture, I play the guitar, my friend plays the cello, and we both sing. You don’t find many cellos in parks…
In short it was a great experience, but what was most rewarding was the fact that children were the ones with the courage to approach us. In fact, we were still tuning while three kids came right up to us and sat on the ground waiting for the performance. Most adults hurried by as if they were listening to something they weren’t allowed to. It’s funny how we’ll pay to see something, and yet when it’s free right in front of us, or in a place we don’t expect it, we feel like we don’t deserve it. But the kids knew they deserved it… so we played for them.
We did get a couple of adults to stop and listen, but only after there was a small crowd of little ones to show them it was safe to do :).
I won’t dwell on the lesson here; I think it’s obvious, and you have all made the point already. It takes a lot of courage to be childlike! It takes incredible character to claim what is good and rightfully ours. Yet, this type of courage is so inherently part of our make-up!
Radical Acts has been on my thought quite a bit recently, as I’ve been striving to see the revolutionary nature of what Jesus taught – the revolution of the Way. Is Radical Acts, diving into Radical Acts, helping me grow in understanding and follow Christ’s message? I immediately gravitated to Being Childlike, which on the surface doesn’t strike me as being one of the more intense of Jesus’ teachings. But I know that there aren’t levels of importance in Jesus’ words and life – these aren’t Radical Suggestions. So how does Being Childlike fit into the revolution of the Way?
I looked back at the last couple months and I noticed that I’ve been much more able to see what God has done, rather than reacting and trying to MAKE something or someone be what God made. This has helped me be much calmer and more able to support others in productive and healing ways. What happened, I wondered? I wouldn’t call myself a stressful person, but there’s definitely been a shift these last few months in feeling even more open to seeing what God has done – just simply trusting Him and letting go of fear.
Then I remembered and I wanted to share it here! A few months ago, my wife and I were at a baby shower and we were definitely being showered with love. We walked in to see so many loving faces, so much good food, so many gifts – frankly, it made me feel shy and want to rush through things so that people didn’t have to sit there watching us open stuff. So as my wife and I took turns reading cards out loud and showing everyone what the presents were, I was praying about how I could feel more at ease – this was supposed to be fun! And all of a sudden I realized that this wasn’t about me, it wasn’t about my wife or even about baby; this afternoon was just simply and purely about love being showered around. This wasn’t from a person to a person; we were all basking together in love expressed – the living of divine Love. I realized I could be childlike and just SEE what was truly going on, and be grateful. The whole rest of the afternoon was transformed and I was amazed to really just see love glowing everywhere.
And ever since, even though there certainly have been various challenges, it’s been so clear how that childlike sense of just SEEING what’s there (what’s truly there, as God has done) has dissolved any number of challenges, including pulled muscles in my back, church conflict, challenging ecumenical encounters, fear, and apathy. I’m so grateful to have seen how it wasn’t the baby shower that was the healing. It was the willingness to be childlike – foundationally so, not just some small-time ‘yay I’ll smile at people,’ but really being willing to just see love with no bars – and that seeing has transformed my days.
I love this John. My takeaway is that if I could be sufficiently childlike, none of the other Radical Acts would pose a challenge. As a wise person once said, “There is nothing more prayerful than playfulness.”
Thanks Nina – I’m glad you enjoyed this. That takeaway is exactly what I was thinking about for the rest of the evening after posting. I realized I’ve been thinking of a lot of things in my life as hard (including persisting in diving in to, and sharing experiences with, Radical Acts) but with enough _____ (time? experience?) it’ll get easier! But last night, after reading your takeaway (and while in the midst of a challenging workout), I realized I did not need to set up ANYthing as ‘a tough thing to do.’ Why not just give my consent to purely see what IS?
As I said, I was in the midst of a circuit workout and on my rest interval when I saw the email come up with your reply, Nina. I decided to read it and immediately realized I did not need to persist in saying “man this is so tough;” I could just enjoy this new opportunity to glorify God. My tiredness vanished and I was able to complete the workout in a much stronger fashion than I have before – and I was not bone-tired afterward as I have been in the past. In fact, I just felt great – like I’d just been enjoying seeing what God has done, without feeling the need to put extra baggage over it, like assuming things like ‘this have to hurt afterward.’ Looking forward to seeing what this clearer sight reveals today!
Here is a wonderful telling of the story of Jonah by a six year old child. Our family loves it!
http://vimeo.com/16404771
Radical Acts Be Childlike: So many amazing examples! Thank you everyone! As I was praying about “Being childlike” yesterday, I remembered something my mom shared with me that I go back to often when I feel the burden of false responsibility. When I was about 4 years old, my dad was out of work and our family was struggling financially. My mom had me, my brother who was 3 and another baby on the way. Our cat had a tumor on its neck and was suffering, but my mom was so burdened by our other family problems that she hadn’t really noticed until a neighbor came by and said to her, “Why don’t you take your cat to the vet for an operation or to be put to sleep so she stops suffering!” My mom thought to herself, “Lady, I can’t even take care of my own family let alone a cat!” So, burdened with self-pity, self-condemnation and the feeling of failure in caring for her family, she put the cat down in the basement where she wouldn’t have to listen to it as she finished her ironing and other chores! As soon as she did this, she noticed me and my brother (4 and 3 years old). We got up, walked over to the top of the stairs leading down to the basement where the kitty was sitting and moaning. We laid down at the top of the stairs and looked at the kitty. She heard me say, “Kitty, you are alright! God loves you!” My brother followed up with, “Titty, Dod loves you!” Then we ran outside to play and the kitty followed us. My mother thought to herself, “How have I lost that childlike trust in God that just knows so naturally that divine Love is in control of all Her beautiful creation and cares for each one of us.” So she began praying to purify her love for and to trust in God’s omnipotent, everpresent care. That evening at dinner the neighbor came back and said to her, “Well, thank heaven you took your cat to the Vet!” My mom had no idea what she was talking about. Soon after, the cat came back into the house and my mom noticed the tumor on the cat’s neck was entirely gone and that was the end of it! Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God (health, wholeness, peace, harmony) are already within us, but we have to become as a little child to see it!”
This happened into the wee hours of the first and I think it fits here… I’ve always been pretty childlike, but I haven’t always understood what it is to be a child of Love’s care. That we’re provided for fully, and all have infinite blessings to share! So I’m copying my FB status here from this morning :))
My husbandDaniel gave me a booked flight to San Diego to visit my mom as a Christmas present.
The week I was supposed to leave, someone asked me to accompany them as a CS nurse to LA, and arranged for their family to drive me down to San Diego.
♥ The whole trip was wonderful!!! ♥
Today I went to the airport to catch my return flight to Chicago on Spirit Airlines, and I was told that because I had missed the first leg of the flight, my entire reservation had been cancelled! I called the 800 number and they said that there was nothing they could do.
So, I went online and found an expensive but doable ticket for Saturday, entered in all my info. and had my finger poised over the button to finalize the reservation, when I started talking to someone who’d asked to sit across the table from me. He was talking with his brother who was trying to make the flight I had originally been booked on. We got to talking and I told him my story and he told me that his brother worked for Spirit Airlines and that maybe he could help me out. His brother didn’t make the flight and came over and joined us and ended up giving me a free voucher which he gets each year! Wow!!
I’m camping out now on a long layover in Dallas, making a pillow out of my clothes :))
Super grateful for Love’s family reflected everywhere ♥
What wonderful posts. Thank you. I love them all.
I watched kids skateboard this afternoon. I wondered what it would be like to just roll along through life on wheels. Less friction. Less inertia. My soul smoothly sliding amongst other souls.
Here’s an insight along those lines:
“We should remember that the world is wide; that there are a thousand million different human wills, opinions, ambitions, tastes, and loves; that each person has a different history, constitution, culture, character, from all the rest; that human life is the work, the play, the ceaseless action and reaction upon each other of these different atoms. Then, we should go forth into life with the smallest expectations, but with the largest patience; with a keen relish for and appreciation of everything beautiful, great, and good, but with a temper so genial that the friction of the world shall not wear upon our sensibilities…” MBE Misc.p. 224.
I had such great hope for progress in my life yesterday. But disappointment, embarrasment, and hurt came instead. And then someone made fun of the way I did something. My eyes kept leaking. Someone pointed out that I need not take the hook. Siblings often antagonize or bait each other, until they learn not to react and the taunting stops.
Can I be childlike and learn this?
Thanks for the reminder to be childlike today. As I watched two little girls playing today. I wondered what I could learn from them.
I realized It’s forgiveness!!
Last week I saw them playing together nicely, one hit the other one, (and without the usual adult intervention) she apologized immediately and her sister accepted that apology immediately and they continued to play. No crying, No tantrum, No complaining.
I wish I could say this happens every day, but it doesn’t, BUT it did happen this one time, and I was there to witness it :) :) :)
So I realized I needed to forgive IMMEDIATELY today so that I could move on with my day and continue to play :)
I wonder what I’m going to learn tomorrow?
Beautiful, tangible example of a key quality of childlikeness. This MUST have been what Jesus was impressing on us. Well shared Clementine!
Thank you for the sweet insight, dear Clementine.
I wanted to commemorate this awesome radical act with a blog post about it on my new blog. Lots and lots of love to all the smoke free children of the world!
THAT’S EVERYONE!!!
http://holyghostshift.com/2013/02/02/smoke-and-sin-free-children/
I like different thought of many Christian scientist because it help me in many situation.
We are all children of God and since we feel the love of our Father we possess and express those qualities.
I remember the good thought when i want to be in good position of prayer, i always use this thought of Father and children when you are with you father you feel like nothing can touch you and you know that you can not be hungry with your Father, in the bible Jesus ask why when your children ask you for a bread you don’t give him a stone or if he ask you to give him a fish you don’t give him a snack and he says why you know to give the good thing to your children and you think you Father in heaven can give you bad thing. I like this one because it help me in many ways.
Today felt childlike wonder as I helped an elderly friend get a chocolate milkshake after taking her to get her hair cut. Random acts of kindness like giggling over milkshakes with a friend in need are such a pure and innocent way to express Love’s childlike nature. I’m so grateful to witness actively this moment–to know that it was more than just two people running errands–and the simplicity of the Christ expressed!
So far, doing my best to follow Christ’s teaching, to be childlike, hasn’t revolutionized my world. But it has brought some lovely things to my day and made me happy…the kind of no holds barred happy that kids feel. OK, so maybe it *did* revolutionize my world! ;)
I had a big long list of stuff to accomplish today. And a good portion of it got done. But better, even as I was trying to figure out, at the last minute, some tricky logistics for a trip next week, I had solid expectation that it would all work out. Even when it wasn’t working out.
But then a friend did something so extra nice for me. And his gift is blessing not just me, but another friend of mine. Wow. But what made me happy wasn’t that it worked out but that I got to witness this unconditional kindness that I believe is animated by God.
And then another friend helped me all day with things that I needed to get done for a long time and never had time to do. A different friend lent me her car to run an errand. And then a stranger at Home Depot helped me save almost a $100, just by giving me some useful information. She was so nice and I could see how good she felt being that nice. And there were at least 10 other great things that happened and the night is still young.
Deciding to practice Jesus’ teachings is a really smart thing to do.
Has anyone ever pulled a BE CHILDLIKE card while playing Radical Acts/the Game? Here’s one of my favorites:
http://time4thinkers.com/radicalactsgame/#card=be-total-trust
Maybe we can “play” the game online today by having people share their answers to this question in this space. The whole game is here and there are several great BE CHILDLIKE cards: http://time4thinkers.com/radicalactsgame
My first thought when my eyes opened this a.m. was “Be childlike today”. What an invitation! My second thought was “how”? God said “Children just let it happen”.
One definition of LET is“ to allow for the opportunity”. And opportunity is defined as “a good chance for growth or progress”. So kids allow themselves opportunities for growth and progress. They don’t force it, or try really, really hard (until someone teaches them they have to in order to get ahead). They just let themselves have opportunities to grow.
Not like I was doing at 11 pm last night. I was sitting in front of my computer staring at an RSVP page for an event invitation two days away. Even though I felt like God was saying go, I was really resisting it. Nope, this was not an opportunity for growth. This would not be fun or productive and I certainly didn’t have anything to offer….
NOT GOING.
So this morning as I was “letting” myself be open to any opportunity today as a means of wonder, learning, growth and joy, the phone rang. A friend said she’d heard about this same event in my area and wondered if I was going.
So here’s the RA game question that Nina posed - “One aspect of being childlike is total trust. If you really, really trusted God, is there a decision coming up that you might make differently?
YUP. NOW GOING.
And full of childlike trust that this is an opportunity for all of us to grow, together.
As I write this, I’m eating peanut butter on celery sticks, and I swear, it didn’t occur to me til just now, that I probably haven’t eaten these since Girl Scouts. I’m seizing the day!
To be childlike is to naturally express love, joy and boundless energy! I decided to express more of those qualities today and invite friends to “play”. I invited one friend out to dinner, another on a hike, one to come visit me while serving in the Reading Room and several to join me for the upcoming Philadelphia Summit. MBE wrote, “The song of Christian Science is, “Work – work – work – watch and pray.” Today, I’m making the addition, “work – work – work – watch and PLAY”!
God is really cool cuz before I got to work & read today’s theme: BE Childlike…..I had already asked a complete stranger to join me and carpool into work! This is like asking a new kid at recess to join the game you’re already planning to participate in:) Late decision to drive into work instead of taking the bus….needing to use the HOV lane….which requires 2+ people; I asked my One Divine Parent which of the 2 stops I should take in order to invite someone to join me. God took my hand & gently said….stop @ the 2nd commuter stop. I did. I noticed a woman pulling into the lot. I rolled down my window & invited her to join me….I trusted Divine Love to lead me and I had just listened to The Bible Lesson on CD…..My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (I John 3:18) This was my “proof”…my radical act…which turned into a blessing for both of us! Not only did we both arrive at work much earlier than anticipated but this new “friend” gave me her email address, cell # and she is planning to visit the Mary Baker Eddy Library and Church for a tour. She asked where I work and once I shared that I work at The First Church of Christ, Scientist………she had so many questions about Christian Science & Mary Baker Eddy! She hugged my hand as I dropped her off by her office and said, “Let’s continue this discussion……part 2…I hope next week!” I am so thrilled to have experienced “recess” before going to work this morning……..and live the love that only God showers us with:)
AWESOME example. Putting your hand in God’s (while you crossed the parking lot), inviting a new friendship….the world is your playground. Love it!
So today is the first day of the Radical Acts Challenge and we’re starting it with “Be Childlike.” As I’m thinking about this demand this morning, one of my goals for today is to see the pure beauty in little things. One of the things I love about children is their natural inquisitiveness and their ability to find so much joy in small things. As we get older, life becomes more complicated. We become jaded and cynical. We forget about the wonder and beauty all around us. So today I’m going to look at the small things around me with a new sense of gratitude and love – really acknowledging the divine qualities expressed in the things that are brought into my experience today.
a) Thanks for the early morning reminder that the Challenge is ON!
b) Your post reminds of a morning more than a few years ago. I was taking my daughter and her best friend to Toddler Time music class; they were probably 2. Lucia was in the stroller so she had to go my speed. I didn’t want to be late for the class. Jonah was walking beside me. And he was dawdling. And driving me crazy. He stopped to look at everything, things we think are super boring…like the bricks in the walkway. Finally it hit me, that what he was doing was important, not to be rushed through. He was learning and loving it. I quit rushing him and I learned something about living more presently in the moment.
So today, that’s my goal. To make each moment count. By paying attention. And I’m not thinking just about paying attention to material things. I can go deeper by seeing what each one of those things really is, by seeing their spiritual qualities.
What if, instead of seeing yourself as a person, you saw (and felt) yourself as a field of love? Ask yourself: How would a field of love respond in this situation? What would a field of love do for a living? What would a field of love bring to the activities of this day? Would a field of love judge another (sounds weird to even hear it)? Perhaps we are individual fields of love, flowing together from One Infinite Field of Love…
-Educare
A few days ago, I was walking down a long, busy street in Boston not feeling my best when God said: “Skip to your destination.” He wasn’t talking board game lingo. He wanted to me skip, like gallop. I knew why. I need to express Love’s joy. I needed to get beyond my little self w my little concerns and feel GOD, the reality of life and eternal goodness all around me. I was embarrassed to skip high in the air around people in suits and ties. But why was I afraid? What would be the worst that could happen? People would make fun of me? Come on, I’m a Christian. Let’s face it, this wasn’t the kind of persecution that was on Jesus’ radar. So I did it. I stopped a few times feeling timid, but I keep returning to the high skip until I got to my destination. I was happy like a kid on Christmas when I got there. I felt like myself again — joyful. God had lifted me up and reminded me that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3) It also made a few others smile too :)
Hi Nate. I so totally skip a lot. When I go out for a walk I listen to music on my iPod and I often skip and dance down the road. I can’t help it. A few days ago I led a church service. I was so happy I fairly skipped up to the “desk”. I was so enthusiastic about what I was doing. Then I happened to glance out into the foyer, and I saw a guy I know laughing at me. Ridiculing me…again. But this time I looked directly right back at him. And in a flash I saw that the meaness I felt wasn’t him. It was something appearing to be him. A negative evil thought that wanted to stop the good going on. Like the suggestions that came to Jesus when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Instantly I saw it for what it was – nothing. And without missing a beat went right on being joyful and happy in my work. It was a major break through for me. Earlier I had been praying to feel my “conscious worth”. That I was a child worthy of my Father’s love. That He rejoiced in me. I think the insight I had about this helped me.
I LOVE it, Nate! I can see you in my mind’s eye, and it’s such an instant-smile image! I bet that more than a few people who you passed felt a little twinge in their legs as you passed, instinctively itching to join in your joyful skipping, just like the children they still are!
Tuning in late to this posting, but BRAVO Nate for your boldness! I saw this video and it has changed the way I walk in my neighborhood.It just feels so good to express joy!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib3Duz_6a9M
It’s so fun to find the cartwheeling champion within. Thank you for sharing your sparkle Jordan.
Once as I turned a corner in a 10K road race the crowd roared the name of my school emblazoned on my t-shirt and cheered me on. I felt like a champion!
This past summer I was asked not to compete, but to write about others who were competing, in order to help fundraise for my city’s swimming pool. In the course of a few weeks I interviewed 17 athletes and I learned a lot. Some of these athletes compete at the National and Olympic level. And some have trouble simply getting out of bed in the morning.
Mark rolled into the interview room in his wheelchair. I had been warned that he was one angry guy. But that didn’t scare me because I was good friends with anger. Once a man who was unlicensed to fly collided with my dad’s plane and my dad and the pilot fell to the earth.
One evening Mark went to buy an ice cream cone at a 7-11 convenience store. At the same time a robber showed up. Mark gave him his money, but the robber shot him anyway. And he became paralyzed from the waist down. Mark didn’t speak for months. His life from 3 ft. up started.
From the air conditioned room Mark and I looked out at hundreds of people in the sun swimming, diving, exercising, sunning, laughing, guarding, coaching. We both sat in chairs, eye to eye, heart to heart, children learning from each other. He wanted to know why I wanted to interview him. I told him he was the only swimmer in the competition pool who entered via wheelchair lift. I wanted to know how he did it. Cause sometimes I myself have trouble getting out of bed.
We talked for a couple of hours. He told me what it felt like to have your life changed in a split second. He poured his heart out. My heart melted. I told him what a handsome beautiful man he was. He let me feel the muscle in his arm built up by swimming laps. I told him how he was helping me. The anger seeped out under the door, or simply ceased to exist. We experienced that Love that knows nothing about the past.
Last night this man, who used to bark at the lifeguards and growl at the sky, and I were honored for our contributions to our city’s aquatic center. Everyone commented on how Mark has changed. From his chair he asked for the microphone and gave the final remarks of gratitude for the men and women who worked at the center. There was not a taller man in the room. No greater champion.
Kristin I love this story. Viva Mark, and you, and everyone who lets anger seep out under the door!
I’ve been focusing so much lately on BE childlike. Imagine my delight today when I picked a passage at random from Science and Health to pray with, and found these words: “the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human thought, and leads it to “where the young child was,” — even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes.”
Happy “birth” day to everyone who’s enjoying this page!
I just love these ideas! This year I’ve been working on “The New Birth”. I am now focusing on childlike trust. After reading all these lovely, joyful and inspiring ideas, being childlike feels more tangible. It feels like abandoning the “self” and “separation” becoming more conscious of the totality of God – infinite possibilities of good. Thank you so much! What a joy!!!
I love this idea of abandoning self being parallel with being childlike. Thank you Patt! Isn’t it always a small sense of self that would keep us from really trusting (fears like “Im not good enough to do that, or know enough to succeed here…”) and just seeing what God has done.
Thank you so much for sharing these insights! Really glad you are here :-)
The radical act section Be Childlike reminded it me about a situation where my childlike trust to God recently took place. People often ask, “But how can we recognize a divine Commandment in the first place Deep in our hearts, in our purest feelings, we know very well whether it is God speaking to us, or only human will. What does the Bible say? “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God.” (I.Cor. 2: Of course you know the request from the “Letters of Peter“: “Cast on him all of your worries, as he will care for you.““ (1.Petrus 5:7). What better thing can we do, than to follow in God ‘s stillness?
We have a small garden house which has a kitchen and bathroom. In the winter we turn off the water to prevent the pipes from freezing, which could lead to flooding. In March, I turned the water back on so that the water could run. I didn’t notice a problem, so I drove back home. Suddenly, I received a call while I was driving. A neighbor of my garden house, also a Christian Scientist, had called me and let me know that my garden house was flooded. With perfect calm, like a child, I let him know that I would return there, and take a look at it. Deep down in my thought I maintained my peace with God and thanked Him for taking care of all worrying thoughts that would try to challenge my oneness with God.
I came back to my garden house and saw that my friend, who also had a key to my house, had already cleaned and dried out the house. It wasn’t as bad as he had originally said that it was, he told me. However if I had not come by your house, then you would have had a massive flood by morning, he told me. A pipe had a small rip in it and water would have continued to run all over the house. Then I asked him “why did you decide to go into my garden house? You knew that I wasn’t there.” He told me that when he came home, he had a rather strong feeling that he should go to my house and open the door to see that everything was all right. Then he told me that, “You know that I have learned to follow divine messages when they come to me.“ I don’t ask anymore why, but only follow with childlike trust. Naturally, I was more than happy about this, that he was obedient to follow in a childlike way the divine message!!
Let me conclude by sharing with you that you can all find a deep, inner peace and tranquility regardless of whatever adverse situations appear to crop up. Through applying Christian Science you can gain a profound closeness to God and continuously receive divine messages. And than you should follow childlike. But you have to listen! And than following obediently. Christ Jesus left us this saying: -” I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (Matt 28:20). Isn’t that the Christ message, the healing power, in the life of all humanity, which can even change the world, when we be childlike?
I’d like to say that my need for physical attention started after a painstaking break-up with a boyfriend. I was working as a barista, serving coffee-based beverages each day to a well-moneyed, mostly male, clientele. The ones who were established financially were the ones who could afford to come in on a daily basis, and pay money for their coffee. After the break-up, I opened my heart widely towards the customers I served. They were kind, and because of the painful emotions I was experiencing at the time, their kindness was exactly what I needed to bring myself out of the loneliness and despair. I couldn’t control the way that the day went, but I could control how I physically appeared. Thus, the cycle began. I couldn’t start my work day without making myself “dolled up” in the morning. The more time I spent on my physical appearance before I went out, the more I could guarantee the physical-attention I so desperately needed to build my self-worth. And the more attention I got from the male customers, the better I felt about myself.
This pattern of presenting perfect mascara, flawless eyeshadow, and ruby-red lips persisted daily for almost a year. While the time I spent getting ready for the day became an afterthought, the amount of attention I received from men on a daily basis was still foremost on my mind. If my eyes met the glances of a stranger, I knew I was “getting it right”.
It wasn’t until I began to consider what “BE Childlike” means that I realized how off-the mark I was in regards to where I was deriving my self-esteem. As I read this RA, the metaphysical insights shared throughout the piece started purifying my mental atmosphere, lifting my consciousness from a mortal, to an immortal realm. It was in this spiritual place of elevated thinking where my thought began to transcend the mesmerized state that had trapped me into the habit of measuring my worth materially. The nature of my being, composed of Christ-like love, both felt and embodied, was spiritual, and pure. Thus the childlike nature of my being was the only basis from which to measure the value of my being. It was in this space of elevated thinking where I realized my self-worth does not come from how much attention I receive from men, nor can it be measured by the presentation of cosmetics on a face.
It was a lifting of consciousness from a me-based approach to a more spiritual approach that enabled this healing to take place. While I still enjoy wearing makeup, I realize now that my worth is not determined by how “attractive” others find me. My worth is Christlike, Childlike, an embodiment of purity, radiating from divine Love. And, above all else, it is this purity that I can impart when making eye contact with a stranger.
The first guy to ask me out in high school was from my Sunday School class. We dated for several years. He did all the right things. Looked great in a tux, sent flowers, gave jewelry, and his parents had a beach house where we could go to be alone.
It was fun touching knees under the table in Sunday School. After we graduated we always sat in the same seats in the same row with his parents in church. I felt very close to them.
I went away to college, but he attended locally. Bestowed with an engraved locket, plied with dozens of red roses and given a leather bound book by Mary Baker Eddy with “To My Dearest” written inside I felt happy and secure in the relationship.
What a romantic get-a-way we had at the beach house Spring Break my senior year! I looked forward to graduation and a wedding soon after. But in June of that year he married someone else. Oops, he forgot to break up with me. There were some rumors.
I went to church for help as I had done all my life. But my seat with his family was filled. Bewildered I stumbled to another row. It sounds simple to do …but it was agony. Pure agony.
Many years later now, I am an active healer in this same church. His family no longer attends. Inspired by the radical acts of Jesus I recently wrote some notes to people inviting them to a special service. I looked up and saw the leather bound book my former boyfriend had given me. I read the inscription. I decided to send him a note thanking him for the beautiful book and its healing message that means so much to me. I invited him, and his wife and family to church. We have never talked, though they live in the neighborhood.
They did not come to the service. It’s been a couple of months and I’ve not heard anything from them.
It’s okay. Really. I know God is caring for all of us. I am happy to be a “whole-souled woman”. That’s a phrase from the book titled “Prose Works” that he gave me. It’s in an article titled “Taking Offense”.
I don’t wear much make-up unless I go to a business meeting or out for the evening. I like to be natural, and huggable and kissable for my husband and children. I do enjoy a look or a wink from someone every now and then, especially if I’m feeling very put together that day. It’s wonderful when someone sees your soul like that.
I see a beautiful soul in your writing.
I am committing to learning what it means to “Be Childlike”. Specifically in my cross country team, I am a captain and have been struggling with a seemingly problematic team and co-captains that don’t seem interested in making anything better. My goal is to listen and to give everything up to God, who is the one in charge, the real captain/coach, and, Father Mother.
Hi Jordan, your commitment to being childlike in your leadership as a team captain is really cool.
I had this experience with a teammate.
My own brother says she is hot. But my teammate kept giving me the cold shoulder and even though we were to lead an event coming up together, when I sent her an email about practice she replied it was a busy week for her and since she had been on the team for three years she already knew what to do.
The thing is I thought she had luke-warm results. I was pretty sure if she practiced she would be a lot better! And this time she and I were to be the team leaders and her role impacted me personally! I wanted to kick her butt and tell her no way was she going to ruin my show and that she better find the time to get together.
Then I decided to make this one of those rare occasions in my life where I stopped to really think about what to do before clicking “send”.
Sometimes our teammates seem like animals, biting and clawing to get ahead, attacking like wolves, gossiping like chattering monkeys. Here’s a team that doesn’t sound promising - a wolf and a lamb, a leopard and a baby goat, a calf and a lion. And look who the leader is!
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6
Instead of having a tantrum and immediately sending an attack email back, I was patient with myself, and climbed into God’s lap and laid my head on His shoulder until my irritation and anger subsided. I thought about all of the activities my teammate was in and how full her schedule must really be. Instead of forcing her to practice, I decided to act counter to my gut. I gently let her off the hook. She said she would come early the morning of, and we could connect then.
I couldn’t believe it when she showed up five minutes before we were to start and then was rude and abrupt to me. I had five minutes before the rest of the team came to figure out what to do.
My thought shot out to God. And He messaged right back that the best thing I could give our team as a leader was love. Not perfect mechanics. I realized that actually she was frightened. And then I saw that I could love my teammate as He did, because we both were His children. That message of love and unity was all that our team really needed to see, hear, and feel to be successful. That was the message that would inspire our team to greatness.
So our practice ended up consisting of a wink. As we walked out to do our thing, instead of grimacing, I kind of smiled and winked at her cause I knew that we both had the same Father. And then as we were talking to the team, guess what. I goofed up (not her), practically falling all over myself. And it suddenly cracked her up - in a good way. We had a chuckle right there and then in front of everybody. The tension and the fear dissipated. That’s when the two of us became a real team!
The event went well for all. Afterwards she radiantly told my mom that she loved being on the team with me.
I love this description of a true leader: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.
Hymn 59:2
Great story. My favorite part is when you messed up. And laughed together. God has a great sense of humor!
Kristin, thank you for your post. I will be considering it today as I go about my activities.
That is an excellent demonstration and is absolutely true to my experience. I love the way you described climbing into God’s lap for guidance. I had a similar moment when I was confronted with multiple team members angry about a decision that had been made. I began to get frustrated and upset because I didn’t feel like they had any right to be mad. Then I took a deep breath and thought about God being in control, governing and guiding. I “climbed onto his lap” as you said and saw that the reins were already in God’s very capable hands. Right away the tension evaporated and the team members were able to understand why the decision was made and I was able to reevaluate the decision with no hard feelings. Shortly thereafter we were all laughing together!
I love thinking about your team laughing together! Thank you for sharing that. The fall sports season is pretty much over now. It went fast! Coming to the close of a sports season is bitter sweet because the toughest events – the finals- are at the end. And that’s also when I always realize how much a team really means to me. As a captain it’s nice to take the time at some point to have everyone sit in a circle and share how much it’s meant to work and strive together. You kind of realize its been about more than being the fastest or strongest. Its about growing and enlarging the heart and soul together. I like to go back to the kindergarten model and say something nice about each person, like highlight a special quality like perserverance or joy or accuracy. I’ve heard the phrase “everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten”. I find it to be true.
I don’t think I would’ve thought of Be childlike in connection to leadership, but it’s perfect. Can’t wait to hear what happens!
Hi Jordan…I am at a water polo game. Thinking of you at cross country. How’s it going?
Hello! It has gone wonderfully. There have been many times when I’ve been upset about something that I felt I was responsible for that didn’t go well until I thought about losing my ego and turning, with childlike trust, to God, who was the one really in control of the situation anyway. Those situations always turned out better once I’d done that.
There were other times that I realized the best thing to do was to be joyful and carefree in the way that children are by just letting things go or being goofy or trying to get someone who wasn’t having a great day to laugh.
Another quick update from me!
On November 1st my cross country team had our “league finals” meet which would determine whether or not we would go on to CIF prelims. (I don’t fully understand California’s system for narrowing teams down to get to state, but I do know it’s extremely challenging at each step!) We were confident in our team, but our rivals had an incredible race and we didn’t qualify for prelims.
We were all disappointed, so I chose I spent that weekend thoughtfully considering our season and reaffirming all the GOOD that happened for four months and that a sour ending couldn’t take any of those wonderful times.
Last Monday at practice, our coach gathered everyone and explained that California had a new rule and that if teams were ranked in the top 13 in the state, they could go on. We were ranked number 13. My joy was instantaneous. My teammates weren’t so sure: they had mentally checked out of the season and were happily ready to be done. The nine varsity girls sat aside from the rest of the team to prepare for our workout that day and while they weren’t upset, they were obviously shocked and no one was smiling.
I faltered for a minute, unsure of how to approach a team that didn’t seem stoked at this chance. But quickly I realized that this was the exact moment I’d committed to the Radical Act of “Be Childlike” for. I thanked God for the opportunity He had given us and then I began grinning and dancing. Soon I was doing cartwheels in full on excitement. My forlorn looking team began to laugh at my silliness and the mood lightened up incredibly.
Soon our coach came to talk to us directly
“Alright girls, this is icing on the cake. Let’s just go out there on Saturday and have some fun!”
By then, while not dancing the way I was, the rest of the team was ready. They were ready to run and more importantly, to have fun with it.
This past Saturday was prelims. Each member of the top 5 (the scoring members) of our girl’s team set a new personal course record and we preformed better than we thought we could, but most importantly, everyone enjoyed it.
We aren’t going on to CIF Finals, but there is no sour part of this ending because we all changed our attitude to joyful willingness to go with the flow – just like a child.
Jordan what an amazing story! Being thankful and having fun — isn’t that the heart of all things spiritual? Thanks for LIVING it Jordan!!!
This story makes me so happy and shows me how real true pure happiness blesses.
Jordan, I love this!! We all have moments in life when we feel like we’ve already checked out–just don’t want to make the effort, are tired of trying to persist with something, just not feeling it. I’ve had a couple of those myself recently with projects that seem to have stalled or hit a snag. So this image of you dancing and turning cartwheels is absolutely perfect. I love the way it illustrates that unadulterated, exuberant joy that we’re all free to express. Thanks for setting such a good example, and for inspiring me to throw some more cartwheels into the mix of everyday life. :)
To me, being childlike is to be ageless, to express vibrancy, curiosity and joy so tangibly that it’s unmistakable and irresistible. I went to Mexico several summers ago as a student in a community college Spanish class. We were all going to stay in the homes of local families for the month. I figured I would need to ask for a room by myself because I was a non-traditional student—ahem, a little “older” than the rest of the students. But, an acquaintance of mine, who was in her very early 20’s, asked if I’d room with her. I tried to discourage her because I pictured her wanting to spend some time drinking and going out at night, which isn’t really my scene. She said she didn’t care that I wasn’t into those things, and insisted that she wanted to room with me. I gave in, and was so happy I did! We had the best time together! It occurs to me now that we had more in common than we didn’t. She didn’t end up letting loose like she thought she would. And the age difference was irrelevant because we were both expressing childlike qualities—the willingness to learn something new, to experience the world with fresh eyes, to enlighten ourselves about a new culture. Those qualities were what mattered. Her life is still very different than mine, but we stay in touch and enjoy spending time together from time to time. Even though it wasn’t that apparent to me, I really appreciated her ability to see our common childlike qualities that meshed so well.
Annette-D,
Thank you for this reminder of universal childlikeness. I’ve been thinking a lot about the recent incident in Pakistan with Malala and what it says about childlikeness for all of us.
We only “lose it” when we buy into the picture that WHOEVER we’re dealing with isn’t a child. That they are not innocent, beautiful, and expressing God WHEREVER they are.
I had a recent experience where I criticized someone for doing something “un-childlike” and felt fully justified in it. But then I started thinking less about the activity I criticized them for, and what might be deeper behind it.
Whatever the deeper reason is – THAT is always the culprit. And if we see it, then WE BE IT! So just because I wasn’t doing the activity didn’t leave me off the hook. It meant I had to dig deeper and ask myself, “What do I feel I am lacking?”
And some beautiful answers have come to me since. Singing at the post office today, just expressing joy, opened up a closed cashier who helped me because she connected with the light that was shining. That was such a beautiful reminder of what has been said so many times here in this discussion – when we shine, we (all of us) see the truth of being. When we see the truth of being, we (all of us) really shine.
onward, chicas and chicos. :)
A few days ago I was exchanging emails with a friend in the quiet early morning hours. He was trying to cheer me up. I had been sliding into depression. I was half absorbing his messages and half thinking “you don’t understand. I am just so ugly.” Immediately I heard God counter with “you are not ugly. You are cudly.” In that moment I really felt a cuddle from God. I shared this with my friend and he said “only a child would be receptive to such a sweet thought.”
You ARE beautiful and cuddly because God is the King of Cuddles and Soul of all beauty.
Thank you for shining your beautiful light for all to see.
giggle
Our puppy, Tessie, has taught me so much about childlikeness…and its connection to healing…lately.
One example:
The other day I woke up feeling shaky and disoriented. I felt like all the molecules in my body had been set loose and were scattered to the four corners of the room. I couldn’t get my bearings.
Then I caught sight of Tessie, who is a tiny little thing, sitting high up on the back of a chair. She wasn’t afraid to fall asleep and tumble to the floor, she didn’t worry that if she jumped off she might not land properly. She was as sure of her safety as she was of my love for her.
I started to think about my own trust in my divine Parent, and my certainty in God’s love…and something just started to gather back into a centering point of oneness within the kingdom of heaven within me. It was an abiding sense of spiritual trust. And it was holding me in alignment as reliably as gravity holds the sands on the beach, and the sun draws the leaves to her shining.
Childlike trust wasn’t based in ignorance, but in the certainty that Love loves us. It was enough to rest upon…and then rise from with a sense of joyful purpose.
I am so grateful for each of these examples of spiritual childlikeness.
Today I had a meeting with the rep for the events company who is helping us with an upcoming Alex Cook & Ben Vaughan concert for our community. The space is awesome, the other local acts are stoked to join us, and now today the lady I met with was just so helpful and understanding of our financial situation and totally appreciative of our group (DiscoveryBound Bend chapter) purpose and the community-bonding-and-healing purpose of the concert. She was able to lower our rental fee for the venue and gave me some great ideas for advertising – and will even be posting a blog on their own site to advertise the concert!
Why am I sharing? Because, in the past, I just know I would have been BLOWN AWAY by the awesomeness of this rep and company, and TOTALLY AMAZED at how everything for this whole event is unfolding, and…you get the idea.
But being childlike includes a graceful and humble acceptance of what is present. Being childlike includes much sincere gratitude, of course, but it does not include getting crazily astounded at ‘miracles.’ Being childlike responds with the grace of the awareness of the presence of God – and keeps moving forward with gratitude and love.
I’m so grateful that this focus on being childlike so naturally included the awareness of how to respond appropriately to all this good news!
So today as I’ve been considering the radicalness of Be Childlike, I was reminded of a quote which actually makes up the majority of my ‘About Me’ on Facebook.
“[The Greek heroes' sense of excellence] implies a respect for the wholeness or oneness of life, and a consequent dislike of specialization. It implies a contempt for efficiency – or rather, a much higher idea of efficiency, an efficiency which exists not in one department of life, but in life itself.” – HDF Kitto
Any time I catch myself tunnel-visioning on a goal which I know is less than infinite, I like to pause and re-remember what I’m actually going for every day. This has been a neat quote to parallel that thought process for me – and now, with this lens of radically being childlike, I’m seeing even more how powerful this idea is. The childlike thought doesn’t consider one amazing thing more wonderful than another amazing thing; it does not rate or grade goodness. It just basks in, and more importantly, shares that sense of goodness and wonder.
I’m in a group that’s committing to deep prayer and effective communication about clarifying our local church’s purpose and direction in the community. Today, as I was doing various tasks I’ve associated with this work, I was suddenly struck by the above quote, in relation to this Radical Act. I realized I have been doing a whole heap of things – for church, for family, for work – that I’ve thought I was ‘supposed to do’ because then at the end it’ll all work out if you did those things correctly. But that’s not childlike at all! That’s jumping through hoops and trying to be efficient at some things, and hoping everything works out because it’s supposed to if you follow the recipe! Where’s the wonder, the trust and joy in the PRESENCE of all good!?
So I stopped. For 5 whole minutes, I just quit doing the thing I had thought I was supposed to be doing, and just smiled and let my thought just be free and romp in the green pastures of the 23rd Psalm. I took a couple calls and was so grateful to just rejoice RIGHT THERE – not in the future after waiting for a healing, but RIGHT THERE in the consciousness of heaven – and was so grateful to really feel my self as no separate self but as simply what happens when God exists. And then I saw that that’s what we ALL are and I loved it! It was a glorious afternoon.
Then I lost track for a bit and got flustered and a little angry and then remorseful and then all of a sudden I realized what I had been slipping on! As I graciously allowed myself to learn, I reclaimed my joy and peace. What I learned from those challenges was that I can KEEP listening and simply seeing who others are and knowing I am being seen for who I am. I am really grateful that we get to keep on rolling, moment by moment, to really LIVE and SEE how good is real.
I love this translation from The Message. Jesus explained one of his parables in this way: “Use every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials so you’ll live, really live, and not just get by on good behavior.”
That’s being childlike, isn’t it. Really living.
Thanks so much for your time in reading and sharing in all this with me and everyone here!
This is so super beautiful and real. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, John!
I just wanted to express my gratitude for the timeliness of this post. From feeling hurt over a dismissive comment a flatmate made about Christian Science yesterday, and wondering if I should say something, to concerns regarding how I will write two 5,000 word essays by mid-December, and even how the divine economy will operate so I can earn enough to pay back my student loans, the metaphysical ideas shared in your post really met my need! thank you.
Thank You for this comment. I often forget that we’re not just surviving, toughing it out and trying to know it all and do it all.
You’re welcome, Bernadette! What you are saying reminds me of a phrase I might have made up: “Are you living an agenda-driven life?” What I mean by that is, are our eyes on some limited prize which we’re tunnel-visioning on? Or are we living a life that sees the allness of Life’s wonder? That’s what I’m seeing “Be Childlike” to mean today…more in my next post below :-) I’m glad you liked that little story – and I bet you have one to share too ;-) Looking forward to hearing more from you!
I’ve been considering the foundation I can start on, with living this Radical Act. As I was considering “Being Childlike” I kept thinking about how kids perceive and accept things. If they’re learning a new video game, or playing (or making up) a game outside, or learning about dinosaurs, or whatever, they just simply accept it. What I mean is, they don’t get fazed – they just say “uh-huh, yeah I get it” and then go DO it. They dont get lost in hypotheticals or fear – they just live.
What I’m getting from that is, to be radically (out of the pre-conceptions of my day; foundationally; trustingly…) childlike, I need to just SEE and then respond naturally in harmony with that. Not try to make things go “my way” but see what is and live with it. The beautiful thing is, with a growing understanding of the fact that good is all power, I don’t need to get fazed when something not good comes along. I can just go right back to what I know IS the rules of the game (I am loved, life is the effect of God…) and just keep grooving and shining.
I’ve already had some neat opportunities to live this – in “small” ways, yes, but hey, what’s the use of Radical Acts if they’re only “big” things that come along once a month? I’ve been playing a campaign of board games with some friends, and I keep losing pretty badly. I’ve been having fun, buuut wishing I could do better. So the other night, I was praying about how I could be more childlike in these games, and a total eureka moment hit me: I realized I’ve been reacting to everyone else’s strategy, instead of just living my own. I dove back in to the game, suddenly started seeing new ways to expand, and even the conversation around the table was suddenly clearer, more fun, more unifying, more….something! Anyways, that was a super fun night and the neat thing is, that that lens (of just living boldly, rather than waiting and seeing and reacting) has really illuminated the days since. I’m more aware of what I can do to help around the house, I was able to have 2 hours of conversations with insurance people and other customer service folks, and all these actions and conversations have been a real joy. It’s been fun to see how I can shine and how that naturally brightens others’ days too.
We’re just God’s children! I’m excited to get to keep seeing how and to share :-)
Enjoy this wonderful weekend!
Hi all…we’ve just put a series of ellipses at the “end” of our summer…because this one (like the opportunity to practice Radical Acts) is never going to be be “over.”
And the invitation to “be childlike” I’ve accepted as a RActor has carried me through so much of the season. And I had to remember that it wasn’t just to “be childlike,” to “be childlike” in a RADICAL way. That’s was the demand…and it wasn’t always easy for me.
I like being a planner, a coordinator, to have all my ducks in a row, to know what’s next and anticipate any challenges and get WAY out in front of them in every way…logistically, metaphysically, humanly…
So this concept of being radical in my childlikeness was, at first, uncomfortable. But, I decided to see it as a spiritual muscle that had only atrophied a bit, and that, with persistent exercise, would grow stronger. And it did.
I allowed myself to exercise a radical “childlike trust” in my Father-Mother’s care and guidance. So what did this look like?
Well, one example…I allowed others to help me. I was willing to NOT be the one who always jumped to grab the check at a restaurant, make the travel reservations, only do things that I felt accomplished/competent at, decide where to stay, offer to do ALL the driving, know (WAY in advance) what the plan was…and believe me, it was hard. Harder than I could have imagined.
But it was also FUN!! I actually had as much fun, as I experienced healing, spiritual growth, and satisfying work.
I was so grateful for Mary Baker Eddy’s use of the term “childlike,” in connection with the term “trust.”
It gave me a great place to go when I started to feel my “grown up” self “taking over.” It only took remembering that the opposite of childlikeness, was “mistrust” in God. There are no Biblical or MBE references to “the adult of God” but lots and lots to the “child of God.” I am absolutely LOVING the rediscovery of what this actually means.
Innocence, purity, spontaneity, fearlessness, generosity, instantaneous mercy…all require a radical trust in God.
I can’t wait to see where this takes my next….
much love, kate
One thing I’ve been thinking about recently with regard to being childlike is how I can be more accepting of good. About a week ago, I got some good news, and I was happy about it…for a while. But then doubts started to creep in. Though I was grateful for this good, I suddenly found myself struggling with fear that the next piece of news I received wouldn’t be good. Or that this good wouldn’t last, had an expiration date, could run out, and on and on.
It was at that moment that the command to be childlike had the most resonance. A child never questions good. I never did when I was a kid. Good is something to rejoice in, to expect, to believe in more than I ever believed in evil. Good just seemed like the natural state of things when I was a child.
And I realized: Good can still seem like–and in fact is–the natural state of things. I want to be more like a little child by holding to and trusting good–without wavering.
My father-in-law passed on about a week ago and I wanted to share a video I’d taken of him with my daughter when she was 1 or so with the family. Looking through the tape to find the right piece to share was eye opening. My daughter, like almost every other small child, was beyond happy and enthusiastic. And her joy came through the screen and made me unbelievably happy today.
That boundless happiness doesn’t have to disappear with age. If it was ours once, it can be again. I am a fundamentally happy person, but not like that. But I’m going to work on it. That one year old has reminded me and her 15 year old version that it’s possible to feel WOW for the simplest of things…even if I might not express it the way a small child would.
Amy, I know exactly what you’re talking about. A couple of years ago I was at a grocery store buying gatorade after a round of golf. It was a perfect day, so you could say I was about as happy as I could be. Suddenly I noticed a little kid behind me, barely big enough to walk, looking at the Sprites. He grabbed a small bottle that was the shape of a ball (these were new at the time), and upon grabbing it he realized he could grasp the whole thing with his hands.
The joy I saw in that kid’s eyes is hard to describe. His whole body was taken over by it. Once he could contain himself, he ran down the isle to his mom, holding the bottle with both hands above his head.
It hit me then that the kind of happiness that kid was expressing was not something I could get from money, a relationship, or even a game of golf. As we get older we seem to spend a lot of time looking for things that will make us happy, yet less time cultivating and understanding happiness itself as an inherent part of ourselves. I think this is one of the reasons why happiness becomes less intense and more sporadic, because we distance ourselves from it by placing objects in between. It becomes an outcome, something we’re trying to get, rather than the source of our actions.
Hi everyone…
Check out this Daily Lift entitled “A little child approach to Christ”.
http://christianscience.com/prayer-and-health/inspiration/your-daily-lift/8-27-a-little-child-approach-to-christ?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily Lift&utm_content=Daily+Lift+Layout
Alex, I really like what you’re saying in that last paragraph. It is so easy to get caught up in “our problems” and feel we are somehow missing the mark. But when we “resolve things into thoughts” metaphysically, as Mrs. Eddy says, we can see the reality at play and find great purpose.
Over some time I have started to see “my problems” as opportunities to gain a higher view of reality. Obviously God – perfect and omnipotent Mind – would not create a problem for me, so a change in perspective about the situation is usually all that’s necessary to see its reality more clearly.
“The carnal mind is always wanting to prove its worth…” Thank you for pointing that out! Looking at the situation from this perspective, there is so much at play – so much purpose! It is an opportunity to assert Spirit’s omnipresence, and subsequently matter’s lack of value. Our value, as you put it so well, comes entirely from understanding that “God chose to make us.” That lesson alone carries enough worth and purpose for a whole year!
Carlos, I relate to that so much. In my life as an artist, being self employed, there has been so much time when I have been waiting – no one telling me to do anything. And, like you, I want to be useful. It has been (and continues to be) a work over many years of really trusting that God is planning my labors, and has made me useful. I already AM useful.
And yes, I think you are just right. There is so much purpose in being God’s happy child. That is living. That is soul. The poetry and beauty of those moments, simply enjoying, drinking in the day, they inform the rest of our lives with patience, and the richness we have gained from observing.
The carnal mind is always wanting to prove its worth, it’s value – that it can be good without God. So it is radical to stand against it, and feel our value and usefulness, not because of what we do, but because God chose to make us.
Here is something that has taken me the WHOLE summer to even start thinking about… perhaps because I don’t have any kids. I have been looking at this question of being childlike from the child’s perspective and responsibility… but I have been ignoring the Father’s perspective… His wishes…
Again, I don’t have children, but it has occurred to me this morning that if I did, I would not merely wish for my child to be obedient, to be innocent, to stay out of trouble, etc. I would want my child to be happy! I know this because that’s the thing that has brought me the most joy in ANY relationship: seeing someone I care about truly HAPPY. How much truer would this be with a child? How much truer and purer would this be with God as the Father?
I have been feeling a bit guilty lately because I’m between projects and I haven’t seemed to have much to do. I’ve had a lot of free time, and I’ve felt that I wasn’t doing enough. There has been an important conversation going on though, between the Father and I. Last night I decided to go for a walk, and I simply told God that I wanted to wake up with purpose. I wanted to feel useful.
This morning I woke up quite late for the first time in a while. I looked outside and it was raining. It occurred to me that I could eat my cereal outside rather than by the computer, answering e-mails like I normally did.
Well… I can’t remember the last time I had breakfast outside, looking at the rain… but I can tell you that it made me very happy :). And this is the thing that just occurred to me: is there not purpose in that? Is there not purpose in being the Father’s happy child?
OH YES Carlos, there’s GREAT purpose in that!!! And it takes most folks longer than a summer to figure it out.
Years ago I used to worship with an elderly man, 92 years old. He was tiny and bald as a chocolate egg. He’d sit on his porch all day reading the King James Bible out loud, just rolling its beautiful cadences around in his mouth.
Once, I asked him the purpose of life. He said: “To praise God and enjoy the good of what He made.” He was quiet, then nodded toward a tree, where a bird had just lifted its beautiful voice. “Like that,” he said. And smiled.
This isn’t a simple story. This man had great regrets in life. For him, praising God and enjoying the good of what He made were truly Radical Acts. I’ve never forgotten that — especially when joy seemed least accessible.
Nina, thank you for sharing this. It broke my heart wide open this morning! Hearts breaking open with love – with Love….
The “Daily Lift” today offers a great example of childlike understanding. Check it out:
http://christianscience.com/prayer-and-health/inspiration/your-daily-lift/8-8-no-misunderstandings?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Lift&utm_content=Daily+Lift+Layout
Beautiful!
So everyone needs to watch this video. THIS is what being child-like is all about!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg&feature=player_embedded
Here’s a blog by Lindsey Biggs, CS on being childlike.
http://lindseybiggs.com/2012/08/01/joy_restored/
Amy, thank you so much for sharing this link! I love the idea of remaining childlike in those naturally good qualities, and growing into adults only in the knowledge of the higher nature life.
I am appreciating RAs more than ever today. Sharing our stories isn’t just about seeing how we really are following in Jesus’ footsteps, but the ideas shared are touching lives in a really healing way.
Last night Al’s comment
“And finally, children “arrive” here without a story — they are a clean slate, have an unspoiled nature. After tears of life experience, we may have a whole long “story” of who we are, what we’ve experienced, and why that puts us in a particular state of being that makes us unable to be or to do certain things, be stuck in certain ways, etc. It can justify all kinds of limitations and situations. To become as a little child is to let go of that whole story and accept that we are, right now, only as God made us. Free thinkers, loving, intelligent, innocent, creative, and safe.”
took a huge burden off of my shoulders as I’d been scrambling to knock off chore after chore. I saw that I had a clean slate even if my dining table still was filled with all those papers I have to go through.
That clean slate is so powerful. When I begin to feel what it means to have a totally clean slate, I can feel the winds of innocence rushing around me! Imagine learning who you are, all over again, as an adult! Ever new!
When I think of what it means to be childlike, many of the qualities mentioned here come to mind. And I really value those qualities. A few other expressions of childlikeness or the quality of being a child that I’m thinking about right now:
One is the willingness to follow and recognize their parent as the one who knows what’s best for them (with the hope that it’s the case). That’s how we need to be and how we need to see God. That childlike willingness to accept God’s guidance (so it’s essential to know God as infinite good and Love that really does care for us completely).
Another is “thinking different.” Children naturally think outside the box and innovate (as long as that quality is not trained out of them). So it strikes me that freedom of thought and innovation is our natural state of being. It’s renewed at all times through spiritual intuition which we can perceive as we recognize that we are expressions of a loving and infinitely good and creative God.
And finally, children “arrive” here without a story — they are a clean slate, have an unspoiled nature. After tears of life experience, we may have a whole long “story” of who we are, what we’ve experienced, and why that puts us in a particular state of being that makes us unable to be or to do certain things, be stuck in certain ways, etc. It can justify all kinds of limitations and situations. To become as a little child is to let go of that whole story and accept that we are, right now, only as God made us. Free thinkers, loving, intelligent, innocent, creative, and safe.
Love this! I’ve thought a lot about #1, lots of talk about it too on this page. But #2 and #3 are blasting open my thought about “be childlike.” THANK YOU!!!
I agree with Nina. I am totally taken with #3 tonight. Thank you so much for sharing Al.
Hi Carlos (and all)
I’m just catching up with this (and all the other) Radical Acts after two weeks at camp…and I am so moved by what I am reading.
I’d like to share an example of one of the most beautiful acts of childlikeness I have ever witnessed.
A camper came to camp having signed up for one of our most rigorous programs. But, not only did he not have some level of mastery in some of the skills that would be challenged and strengthened, he had NO experience in two of them.
When the day came for the program to engage in one of the more “extreme” adventures planned — for pushing camper’s limits in these skill areas — he asked his counselor if he might be able to “learn” how to do, not one, but both of those skills at the most basic level.
The humility, courage, grace, and joy he brought to learning those skills left me weeping with admiration and love. He, and the counselor who spent all day teaching him, were sweetly persistent, enthusiastic, and victorious….no frustration, self-consciousness, or doubt. It was their childlike love for expressing balance, strength, and flexibility with unprecedented meekness and love that took my breath away as I watched them start over again and again until each of these skills were mastered.
It was this childlike humility that, for me, that made him one of the most courageous campers I’d ever met.
While exploring Europe for the last month, I wanted to live many of the radical acts, but being childlike was a front runner in wanting to make my experience fun. I traveled with a friend who is extremely beautiful and between her beauty and my blonde hair and blue eyes, we found that especially as tourists we attracted a lot of attention. Both of us love to make friends and are quite out going but at times the attention we were receiving was aggressive and a to much for us to handle.
I wasnt sure how to handle this sometimes uncomfortable situation but I knew there had to be a solution. In my bags I packed all the essentials for my trip, water bottles, clothes, toiletries, TO MANY shoes, but also toys. My friend is one of the only girls who laughs at my jokes so I felt that bringing toys with her would be appropriate. I didnt realize they would turn out to be such a blessing.
One of my toys in particular was a pair of goofy glasses. When put on, it would look as if the person wearing them had eyes to big for their face, and they also blinked. My friend and I started wearing them all the time. Instead of giving us looks because we were pretty and wanting to hit on us, they would laugh and start a conversation. We made friendships rather than having to feel pursued.
I never would have thought that something so silly and fun would change (at times) such a threating situation. Being childlike opened doors to friendships and closed doors to physical appearance attention.
I had a great conversation with a friend last night. I told him I had been working on patience, and that I was beginning to understand the wisdom in waiting for God’s direction to unfold, rather than hastily following plans of my own. He pointed out that the root of the Biblical words for patience (in their original language) meant “actively continuing to be”.
I love this idea! Patience is not “doing nothing”, but in a scientific sense it is holding thought steadfastly to what we are, not being changed by circumstance, but rather expressing our true natrue regardless of circumstance.
Why is this important? It’s not just a happy “leave it all to God” theory. We expereince whatever we hold in thought. If we allow ourselves to be changed by circumstance, our experience becomes circumstancial, unstable – and isn’t that what much of “growing up” feels like? If we hold strong to a proper idea of ourselves as God has created us, our experience stabilizes.
Doesn’t this have everything to do with being Childlike? With the patient activity required to not be changed by the world – to not be corrupted by worldly thinking?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we learn when we are children… how we discover the world. I think being childlike has a lot to with the actual process of discovery.
Here’s what I’m thinking…
You’re in elementary school talking about mathematics with your best friend. He tells you that 3 x 3 = 6; and you, having valid reason to know he is trustworthy, believe him. The teacher asks the class if anyone knows what 3 x 3 equals, and you raise your hand excitedly. Of course, your answer is incorrect, but she lovingly teaches you that the correct answer is 9. You now believe your teacher, not only on the basis of trustworthiness but educational credentials. You have a satisfactory answer to that specific problem, but lacking the tools to arrive at the answer on your own, it is still based on belief rather than understanding.
We may have the right answer memorized, but we still have to learn and understand what it means!
It is not until you realize what multiplication is and how it works that you understand the problem. You have arrived at a truth. And more importantly, you can use the same process to solve 4 x 3 or 5 x 9, because you have gained a tool that can tackle any multiplication problem, no matter how big.
Do we lose the humility which assumes we have everything to learn at some point? Do we start accepting our beliefs as understanding as we get older?
An improved belief may yield improved results, but only understanding unveils the truth, which should be the ultimate goal of true science and religion. This unveiling is so natural for us as children. Remember the first time you considered that the earth was round? Or that the sun was not moving across the sky, but that instead the earth was turning? Do you remember how this changed your view of the world? The expanded understanding - though you may have resisted it at first because it contradicted what your eyes were telling you - led to a natural uplifting of thought. The world hadn’t changed, but YOUR world (or your view of it) underwent a gigantic transformation.
We often find challenges in our lives that seem very real, and it is hard to imagine that we may be dealing with a mere false set of beliefs. This may be a result of thinking that has stopped moving - thinking that is satisfied with its current perspective and not interested in straying too far from them. Does our religious practice seem stale? Does our scientific research feel like a process rather than discovery? If either feels like anything less than our childhood findings, a healthy dose of re-thinking may be in order.
Whether we are Christian Scientists or doctors, Buddhist monks or marine biologists, are we placing more importance on our personal view of reality than the search for truth? Are we protecting our hard-earned beliefs rather than seeking and finding? The latter takes a tremendous amount of childlike humility!
No matter how much we think we know about God - Life, Truth, and Love - we have an infinite job of discovery. Human experience rarely feels consistent, yet Truth can never change, so can we be humble enough to recognize that our human perspectives are not entirely based on reality?
An exciting new world awaits each of us, EVERY DAY. The tools are readily available - we have a science of the Christ! With childlike curiosity and Christly humility, we can get our thought ready for a gigantic transformation.
Thank you, everyone for sharing your experiences thus far! I am choosing to live this act because of a few reasons: 1) I have always felt, thought, and lived in a childlike manner 2) I am an elementary school teacher (and I love working with the little ones!) 3) I want to be a mommy and have 2 blessed children of my own (in the next 5 years, God-willing), and 4) people have told me throughout my life (especially in my college years and now being 25) that I look a lot younger than I am, hehe! Just the other day an elderly woman said, “You look like you’re 13 years old–you can’t be 25!” Though this comment is completely physically-focused, it beckons my thought that I should remember to act child-like not childish because I look like a young teenager!
I have felt called to be a teacher since I was in 5th grade. We had a program called Fifth Grade/Kindergarten Buddies, which is popular in most schools I believe. I had a sweet little girl and one the last day when I told her I was leaving for middle school she said, “You’re leaving?! I don’t want you to leave–you’re the best fifth grade buddy, Jaimie! I’ll miss you!” and gave me a big hug! It was at that moment the thought came to me–”Love as a little child–be a mentor, be a teacher unto the little children.” Suddenly, all past childish thoughts of, “Why would anyone want to spend their life working in school when you have to GO to school your whole life?” disappeared.
Fast-forwarding to the present, I have been led to 3 different school districts in the past 3 years that I have have been a teacher, and this year I have had the most wonderful, blessed year and have been asked back for a second year! (On my way to tenure :)
However, some thoughts I struggle with that overtake me often are the issues of trying to plan MY life (as a teacher, I am a very organized person in general and always used to making lesson plans in advance a week ahead of time. So I’m used to having to think ahead, think of the future and what I am going to plan for the students I see. I’m an ESL Specialist by the way in case anyone was wondering :)
Thoughts of controlling MY life, and MY students have gotten in the way not so much this past year, but they do crop up occasionally and I have had great challenges and great healings when teaching Sunday School as well.
Another thought I call “The Great Debate” of my thoughts is whether or not I will be called to go back to work or be a stay-at-home mom when I have kids. I apologize to my poor boyfriend and my poor mother who have heard me worry away countless times about this issue–I’ve read blogs, watched 1-2-3 Magic Parenting videos already, and thought of scenarios in my head of how I would handle situations if my kids were to be defiant, disrespectful, or rude to me–I sometimes have adopted the popular thought of “Always expect the worst so you’ll be prepared.” I sometimes looked at the students I taught and thought, “Boy, these kids don’t have good home lives–they’re passed on to baby-sitters and daycares to raise and then we get stuck trying to deal with their problem habits and behaviors all because someone didn’t stay home and raise them right.” I’d also think, “Wait, I love teaching–will I be punished for continuing my career in such a wonderful profession? Will I be punished with cranky, whiny, bratty children because I’m not nurturing them and with them throughout the day?” Then I would feel bad for all the kids today who have both parents who have to work to support them financially and I thought, “Well this just isn’t fair nor does it add up. GOD is EVERYONE’S true parent, He is even our parents’ Parent. He is always with us, even when our earthly moms and dads can’t be with us and He is watching over us and guiding us, keeping us perfect.”
When I changed my thought, I felt as if a spider web had been untangled from my thoughts–I felt light and free. I thought, “My job is to reflect Love, by loving others, especially the children, the precious children I teach–to see their God-given qualities and to let God speak through me, because He will give me all the right words to say, just as He did to Moses.”
Over time, I began to see significant changes in the students I worked with–gone were the issues of silliness and disrespectfulness, AND gone were my negative reactions at certain things they would do–sure kids can be a little loud and get off task sometimes, but Divine Love firmly yet gently corrects these behaviors in all of us. I began to see true progress in all of my students and I felt less stressed and more inspired! I would often say in my mind, “God, thank you for guiding me to my right place–I will never take such a wonderful profession for granted, nor will I ever stop helping the children, Your children”
My wonderful earthly mother reminds me many times, “Have an expectancy of good.”
One of my favorite lines from Science and Health , which has been made into a beautiful children’s book sold in the Reading Room called “BIg With Blessings” is the line that says, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings.”
I will continue living this radical act especially in these next 3 weeks when I will begin baby-sitting a wonderful little 17-month old girl who goes to my church. The task is a bit overwhelming as I realize how much you have to watch and chase after these little tots, but I will work on applying being childlike myself while fulfilling the role of a caregiver to an already perfectly childlike little toddler.
Children naturally wake each day with an expectancy of good, of joy. I realized then why I felt not like myself sometimes when these thoughts of
Jaimie, thank you for what you’ve shared here. So much to think about!
People also tell me all the time that I look younger than I am (which used to bother me), but I have never thought about it as an opportunity to remember being childlike!
Also, 17 years ago I moved to the US and learned English through ESL. Today, most people who know me don’t even realize there was a time I couldn’t speak the language. The work you are doing is SOOO important, and the blessings are for a lifetime. Thank you so much!
Today… live TODAY!
I love that Megan. I just had a similar experience playing ultimate frisbee with a few friends over the weekend. It felt like it was after school and we were just making up games. :)
I notice too that the more I go through hard things, and find resolutions to them in Christ, I am released from this heavy feeling of being an adult. Actually, I really feel that the more I am forced to be redeemed through the love or Christ, the more silly, simple, and ready to laugh I am. I didn’t know this was going to happen, but it has!
I had an instance this past weekend of feeling childlike. I was taking a trip to the Ocean with my family, and it had been a very long time since I had even seen the ocean. When we arrived, I had this excited feeling that I recalled from my childhood. Just this feeling of complete happiness, forgetting about all my worries, my appearance, my age. I looked at the ocean and started to run, just running as fast as I could, a huge smile on my face. When I reached the water I splashed around, letting the waves hit me. It was like I was a child again, I didn’t care about looking good for the boys, or tanning out on the beach. All I felt was a sense of freedom, fun, and care-free worry; something that we all felt as young children. I am really grateful for God reminding me of what that feels like. I think we all have to have that one special thing in our lives that totally releases our adult obligations, and lets us be childlike!
This is wonderful Megan. This past week I was vacationing in Michigan, and had the opportunity of working through a physical challenge related to a childhood diagnosis. There was a lot of fear attached to this belief that was still left unhandled, and it was keeping me from enjoying the lake with everyone else (or at least it was trying to)…
I worked through the issue with a Christian Science practitioner and had a joyous healing. I can totally relate to the pure excitement you felt hitting the water! I was like a little kid that had never realized the wonders of COLD water – and in a way I hadn’t, because I had never really enjoyed it due to this fear. I am really grateful for that experience as well!
Oh yes, we all need a little more childlike and a lot less childish!!! Nice!
I spend a good amount of time babysitting the three young boys of some dear friends. These boys are 6,3, and about to be 1. These lovely lights are such wonderful examples for me of how I can be childlike. I see them forgive immediately, love fiercely, obey instantly, and they are the perfect example of being excited at the world. The other day I didn’t have the kind of popsicle the oldest wanted, but I had a different kind and he immediately became so excited because there was a popsicle at all! He was just happy to run around in the summer air with a cool treat.
And yesterday I helped out at his 6th birthday where there were a lot of little ones running around. It was so powerful for me to see the way the react to each other and to the world. They were not without squabbles and tiffs, but each was resolved lovingly.
Those qualities don’t have to leave us as we get older. I’m in my early 20′s but I have many responsibilities that come with running and business and being a firefighter. Even with these sometimes stressful aspects of my life, being around these kids continually shows me that I can be more like them and therefore reflect my true Father Mother God.
Ali, thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. As I attempt to be more childlike this summer, I’ve had a hard time getting away from my own pre-conceptions about where God is leading me. It seems like there are moments where I can tell exactly what God is saying to me, and then I try to jump ahead and figure out what that means for the future. That’s where I get in trouble.
I like how the boy didn’t get mad over not getting the right kind of popsicle but was glad to have any at all. That quality seems so important to me in truly following our Father-Mother’s direction – to live each moment with openness, love, and joy. Every moment truly is a blessing, and the only reason we may misundertand the blessing may be our own expectation of being blessed in a different way.
Great new blog on the benefits of being childlike:
http://time4thinkers.com/four-year-old-love/
Many years ago, after winning a long and difficult spiritual battle, I found that one of the fruits of victory was that I was much more childlike. It was so easy to laugh, to play, and to be open to simple, happy things. It seems like a law to me, that as we grow in our ability to trust God about the most serious things of life, that we also grow in our ability to be delighted by the nature of God, and therefore, be honestly happy.
This is part of God’s unspeakable gift.
Alex, thank you for the video! What a simple yet powerful exercise we can all learn from. Rather than entertain the negative suggestions that come to us about what we’re lacking or what needs to be fixed in our lives, we can take time to rejoice in the wonderful gifts our Father has given us.
hayley, I like your point on the distinction between childlike versus childish thoughts. I’ve been on the road with some friends and their baby the last couple of days, and it’s been wonderful to see how much joy that baby brings to everyone when he is laughing and satisfied. Then of course, when his thoughts seem to turn inward and he begins to complain – because he can’t express what he’s feeling – everyone is affected in negative way. But the point is that a little baby, without the grown-up skills we work so hard at in order to be successful, already has the full power and ability to uplift the mental atmosphere of an entire group of people. The ability to express joy and fulfillment is so natural to us! We don’t have to go out and get it.
By understanding our true nature as God’s complete creation, His children, we can harvest the childlike qualities of joy and fulfillment as we discover the greatness of what God has created in us; and we can cast off the childish tendency to think of ourselves as imperfect individuals, responsible for voicing and fixing our apparent incompleteness.
Carlos,
You mentioned the joy a group can all share from watching a happy child. Gratitude and joy can help gets one’s thought above material problems and focused on what God’s true creation. Recently, my wife and I were walking on a beach when I was stung in the soft underside of my foot by a wasp. I had to pull the stinger out. It really hurt. Part of my prayer was recognizing myself as the unchanged child of God (John 1:12). God made me perfect and I never could have stepped out of God’s creation. I also sat down on a bench and listened to the joyful sounds of children playing nearby in the waves. This filled me with gratitude for the good already received (Science & Health 3:22). It was important for me to be grateful for the opportunity to walk on the beach in the first place. I also thanked God for the vacation I was sharing with my wife. After a few minutes of this, I was no longer thinking of the injury, but of God’s provision.
I had child-like trust in my divine Parent, God. I was completely confident in God that I was never injured, that there was no remnant of venom in my foot from the wasp, and that I could continue on with my walk unharmed.
So, only about 10 minutes after removing a barbed stinger from my skin with pain racing through my foot I was able to continue on with the walk freely. There was never a mark or any pain from that moment on.
We too can rejoice and be reminded of our true spiritual identity when we recognize childlike activity. Why limit this inspiration to children?
Thank you for thsi post Tom,
I was conducting a Bible study recently and we got on the subject of spiritual qualities and their independence from time and age. Why limit childlike inspiration to children indeed? And why limit maturity and responsibility to adults? Innovation and poise to teens? Wisdom to the elderly?
At its core, our ability to express childlike spiritual qualities seems closely related to our ability to detatch the action of Spirit from material limits. Can we look at all of God’s creation without age… and expressing innocense, wisdom, strength, inspiration? I just spent a weekend with a five-year old that expressed all of this.
childlike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg
We need to all be childlike, but not childish. A Christian Science teacher told me that, and I keep pondering it. Yes, I want to have childlike thoughts, innocent, and pure, and loving, However I don’t ever want to be childish, wanting to get my own way, being selfish, greedy, or lying. I need to work on being playful too, and less rigid and stressed out. Basically we all need to start loving, and living life and then we will be demonstrating that childlikeness more perfectly.
The focus of being childlike is very timely and helpful for me. Thank you for all the stories, ideas and thoughtfulness! Peter
Great to hear Peter! Be sure to share your insight throughout the summer as you pray and live this most natural radical act!
A new day and a new week begins. I wonder what our Father/Mother has in store for us :)…
The understanding of being a child of God is one of the more perfect expressions of being childlike. I too am working to better understand what it means to be childlike and live with the direction of my father mother God.
Being raised in Christian Science, I know I am a child of our father mother God. However, only recently have I started to understand what it means to be child like under the care of God. I had mistakenly thought my growth a child of God followed a similar path as a child of my parents. While I continue to grow and become more independent of my parents I gain a certain sense of freedom and growth as a productive individual in society. As society continues to promote growth into independence and being less childlike, God continues to encourage us to be childlike. I have worked strongly and with conviction to being an independent member of society, but in doing so I have been also been pulling away from a sense of childlike trust in God, relying more on self and ego.
I have been frustrated with how my path has been unfolding. In my last few jobs I have left to follow other job opportunities only to find out the position I really wanted became available a few weeks after I left. Recently I had a conversation where it was suggested to me that God was encouraging me to leave before these positions became available to continue me on a path of growth and movement towards a bigger picture I have yet to see. It is hard to put aside ego to follow a path I cannot see, but it is important for me to do this in my understanding of being like a child under the care of God. This concept is still a little frightening, but trusting in God, and being childlike will lead me to a destination big with blessings.
I love the idea of being childlike and I have seen many instances of my childlike qualities such as humility, poise, exuberance, joy, love and all other qualities associated with childlikeness bring joy to others.
I work as a Christian Science nurse on my school breaks and it is such a blessing to share love and care to people who need it. One day at work, i was not my usual self because i was dealing with a challenge that needed absolute concentration on the truth so i wore a grim face. Unfortunately, one of the people i work with noticed it and said to me,”You bring joy, happiness, and life to those around you because you express childlike qualities.”
After i heard that, i felt a sense of spiritual rejuvenation to the extent that the seeming challenge i had disappeared. I was my usual self again expressing joy, beauty, freshness, and vigor as i went about my daily duties at work.
I understood that being childlike meant being open and susceptible to that still small voice whispering angelic messages to us which is expressed in childlike qualities.
I’ve always enjoyed expressing the qualities of childlikeness – such as ligth, joy, humility, etc.
But the other day I had an opportunity to learn about childlikeness in a whole new way. I was running some errands on my bike. I had 2 stops to make, but I really felt like just making the first one. And I felt like this in a peaceful way, not in a lazy way.
However, human reasoning entered in and said “yes, but you really have to run this other errand…when else will you do it…etc”. So I went along to the next errand. When I got there I learned that the store didn’t have what I needed. I was so sure they would but I ended up “wasting” about an hour on this little voyage.
Mary Baker Eddy talks about spiritual sense as “intuition, faith, hope…” This spiritual sense is what communicated to me to go home after the first errand even though it didn’t make sense humanly.
Sometimes when you tell a child not to do something you get a long, drawn out “whyyyy?” or “do I have to?” This is actually the opposite of childlikeness which is complete obedience and trust in a loving Father-Mother God. Can you imagine Jesus saingy “whyyyy?” or “do I have to?” when God told him to go somewhere or heal someone? I found the “why” desire - to know and understand something with the limited human mind - interferes with our spiritual sense - a complete trust in God who is always guiding us with intelligence. So, I’m practicing relying on those spiritual intuitions even if I can’t see the full outline humanly.
It’s not always easy to let go of the desire to understand something completely. But God’s job is being the all-knowing Father-Mother and my job is child - listening, receptive, trusting and obedient! ☺
Lindsey, what wonderful perspective you’ve brought to this conversation! It seems easy to desire a mere return to childhood, because the past just seems better, but the kind of perfection in childlike qualities you’re describing requires real maturity. Being childlike in the way Jesus demanded must be about the right expression of what a child is… none of the false human conceptions included.
We’ve all been children by default. Could it be that this human experience is about learning to be God’s children, by choice? And to be fathers? And mothers? And brothers and sister? and so on…
Thank you so much for this post, Lindsey. I found it really helpful in silencing the destructive, ego-based voice in my head that always wants to intellectualize, rationalize, justify things with human opinion when events don’t line up like I expect them to, or people aren’t there when they said that they would be.
As I have gotten older, I have increasingly rationalized upsetting situations in my head as a way of sorting through disappointment and hurt feelings. As if by pinpointing why x, y, or z happened, then I can alter the course of events to either avoid it from happening in the future, or be better prepared emotionally for the next time.
However, reading your post this morning completely woke me up to how off-base my response has been. I can see how my self-defense of always trying to reason through disappointment from a human understanding completely blocks the path from spiritual growth and development. The more we cram our mortal minds with human theories, the less room there is for Divine Mind to operate freely.
This isn’t a big dramatic story about following in the footsteps of Jesus, but I learned a lot about being childlike when I was doing a gig as a stay at home mom.
I’d always been someone who liked things organized, even as a kid. My brother, sister, and I each had our own toy cabinet. Mine was pristine. It wasn’t normal.
As an adult, I was just as exacting. And then I got married to someone who was messy. I loved him so much, I could live with it, most of the time.
But then I had my daughter. I wanted her days to be spent in the best, most productive way for her and that mostly didn’t include playing by herself while Mom cleaned up or organized papers.
There were days when we caught a glimpse of the sun outside and we walked out without a second thought leaving the disarray behind. Not a big deal for most, a really big deal for me.
I learned to let God order my days and it was being childlike that opened up the space in my heart for that. I discovered that the only things that needed to get done were the things that God told me to do. It was a huge lesson.
Okay, maybe it’s kind of dramatic. ;) It was definitely transformative for me.
How sweet to read all this thoughts all of you shared,it is not the easiest thing to be child like it really does take lots of courage,I remember being faced with such indecision of how things would be if I left the job that seemed to be everything to me and rely wholly on God’s guidance for supply and wellbeing.lots of lessons have been learned but the greates of all is the closer I have felt to God.
And yes when we truly grasp the fatherhood of God and just trust and look up to Him,things have worked in ways I never thought about and topped up with such love and peace beyond words.
I cannot think of any other way to live my life but just to keep knowing that my father will take care of me and just the absolute trust of really……..and I mean really leaning on the unseen but solid rock that I cannot stand without.
I’ve really been working on embracing childlike qualities and at a Wednesday evening service recently I had a beautiful demonstration of that.
I was ushering and partway through the service two young girls came up from the nursery looking to sit with their father. They were excited to see him but were being mostly quiet. The joy and excitement they were radiating though, spoke volumes to me and I was disappointed to see the disapproving looks on so many other peoples faces.
Their absolute pure joy at seeing their father and being able to sit up in church was incredibly inspiring and moved me to tears.
I understood that there is no reason that I cannot or should not be that joyful about every aspect of my life and I left the service feeling so uplifted and ready to express those childlike qualities.
It is a revolutionary act to be childlike!
http://www.wimp.com/rogersremixed/
And here’s a really serious, beautiful one. Fred Rogers defending children’s television before the senate in 1969 – and being convincing simply with honesty and love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q
These are great Alex! Thank you so much for sharing…
“And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake…” (Matthew 10:18).
What a disciple you are, Fred Rogers!
Wow Alex, that second link really demonstrates what I was trying to understand. Thanks!
Yeah! Wasn’t that so cool? Talk about speaking truth to power. :)
Thanks Alex,
When Mr. Rogers talks about control at the end of his speech he is able to distinguish child-like innocence from childish behavior. In the lyrics to his song, this allows for a child to really mature and become a responsible adult.
So many times we are as Rogers said, “bombarded” by negative broadcasting and even silly programs which encourage childish behavior over child-like innocence. I’m glad I grew up watching Mr. Rogers ;-)
I had a real similar experience Carlos!
In 2008 my inner voice told me that I had work to do that was going to require 100% of my time. I didnt know just what that work was, but I could feel something brewing inside. The outcome of that was that I needed to quit my 1/2 time teaching job. I loved that job and it paid great, but I knew it was time to move on and that inner voice gave me the conviction to do it.
It was then that I began to make my living exclusively making art and music. My dream! I didnt know how God was going to unfold it, but, it unfolded in all kinds of ways that I couldn’t have planned. Now it is 4 years, 3 cds, and 4 tours later, and I certainly couldnt have done all the thing that God has blessed me to do, if I had stayed in that teaching job. (which I loved) (but i love what I do now too!)
There is a lot of fear to work through with stuff like that. But like you said, more and more the proof builds up that following the inner voice of truth makes things better, richer, and more ALIVE. (and safe too)
A little over three years ago, when the economic outlook began to look its bleakest, I was led to leaving my salaried employment to start a new practice. Now, I must admit, that I had a ton of grand ideas for how “I” could do things better than everyone else, so there was certainly a little ego attempting to usurp the decision-making process, but I found the strength move forward is the certainty that God was leading me. The more I prayed, the more it felt like this was the right expression for me at the time.
Three years later, I have to admit it has not been easy, but it has also been an incredible blessing. I’ve had to learn to place my ego aside, to do things for God’s praise rather than personal gain. That has been the hardest part. But it has also been the biggest blessing. Life is so GRAND when it expresses God rather than our own flawed sense of self! I realize more and more that the opportunity in front of me three years ago (and now) was not for a new business venture, but a more complete reliance on God. Spiritual progress. That’s what God has been leading me to do!
The hardest part has been overcoming my doubt that God will provide when things seem bleak, but I now have a 3 year demonstration under my belt that he will! And more importantly, I can say with confidence and humility that it has not been my own doing. God has provided like the perfect parent He/She is. And He is teaching me day by day that I am indeed His child.
What’s the most unusual thing you have done out of obedience to God? Has God ever told you to do something that you were afraid to do? What about something that made you worry that you would be seen as weird? To me this is one of the the RADICAL challenge of being childlike!
Hey Alex!
I remember a time when I was riding a bus in East Los Angeles. At one stop, a blind man with a cane came on the bus and started laughing and joking with the bus driver in the most beautiful, child-like way. Seeing his interaction made me want to be child-like, too, but I didn’t really know what to do. Then the voice came to me: “Read him the Bible.”
Wow. Is that such a weird request for a young Christian boy in a so-called secular world? It certainly felt weird. But I know when God is commanding me to do something because my first thought is, “I don’t want to.”
So, of course, I had to.
I leaned over to the man and asked him if he would like to hear something from the Bible. He paused for a moment and then gave me a huge smile,
“I’d love to.”
I opened up the Bible at random, so I know God is leading me, and this is what I read,
Mark 10: 46- 52.
Jesus heals the blind beggar, Bartimaeus.
We both listened in rapt attention to the message of the story and right as I finished it was my stop to get off of.
I’ll never forget the way the Word of God spoke to this man and me together, both a little bit blind, but in that moment seeing so clearly the power of God, begging to see more of what Christ sees.
God, open my eyes. I want to see what you see.
To reflect God is obedience… and childlike purity, humility and innocence naturally reflect God. A reflection definitely does what it’s shown, immediately! Father-Mother God as Life means that God is all-in-all and that all is held tenderly as the expression of this harmonious nature of Life. This quote by Mary Baker Eddy comes to mind:
(Indestructible relationship)
The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are
indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor
return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in
which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have
remained unchanged in its eternal history.
Waking up to being the unchanged children of the one Mind!
I really, really love this quote and it was very meaningful to me as I read it. Thank you for it!
Wow, what a big question! I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately as well. I recently recognized how easy it is for me to say that I trust God, to say that I am totally relying on God for the answers, and yet – when an opportunity comes up to use MY will to direct things in the direction I THINK they should go, then off I run…realizing only too late that all of my effort and energy has not only been of no avail, but actually made things even more difficult. A couple of days ago some information came to my attention that appears could be useful in getting what I want out of a very delicate situation, but the result of using this information would end up hurting someone. So this time, I’ve decided to really and truly rely on God to lead me. Maybe what I want isn’t what’s best for all parties involved? What I do know is that what blesses one, blesses all, so I am taking my stance against this idea that says another person’s blessing could hurt me or my family in any way. God is my life – which means nothing evil can come from being obedient – I saw a slogan recently that said “If God is your co-pilot, switch seats.” I just did.
What wonderful comments! Thank you all for sharing…
Here’s something I’ve been working on: Obedience. It’s easy (even natural) to turn to God when we’re in need, but what about the rest of the time? Are we obedient to follow the path that presents itself to us every day? Or are we turning our Father/Mother God only to ask for our “life” to be more like we want it.
Christian Science reveals God as Life itself, and it seems to me that a key aspect of understanding Life is childlike obedience… to do as we are told – or in this case, to do as we are “shown”.
What does it mean to you all that our Father & Mother is Life itself?
Recently, I have come to appreciate the childlikeness that Jesus modeled in his relationship with his Father. He lived a life of unceasing prayer and obedience. I decided to put into practice his radical act of childlikeness in my own life.
Great thoughts! I’ve always been really childlike but only recently have I really taken it deeply to heart that God is literally my Father and Mother… The other day I was reading a recent article in the CS Sentinel about the Lord’s prayer and it spoke of the different ways father is said throughout the world: Abba, baba, papa… etc… As I was reading, this deep affection welled up in me for the thought of God as ‘Father’, which I had never really felt so deeply! The next morning I was sitting at our campsite writing, (my husband and I were backpacking) and the focus kept coming to God as Father and affirming the Fatherhood and Motherhood of God for all creation. Then I closed my eyes and prayed to truly be open to the fatherhood of God… I sat silently for awhile and when I opened my eyes, I saw a horse walking down the trail carrying a man with a cowboy hat. He came over and asked if I was camping alone and I told him no, that my husband had gone to look for water to filter for the trip back… The creek was dry and we had a long trek and very little water left… The man went back to his horse and grabbed an icey bottle of water and handed it to me. We introduced ourselves and Jerry told me that the horse he was riding was abused before but that she was being taken good care of now. She looked very happy :)) He got back on his horse after I pet her awhile and fed her some grass, and they headed on down the trail. What a beautiful and immediate expression of Fatherhood! I grabbed my pack and headed down the hill to meet my husband who had also found water… I truly felt the perfect tender loving care of us all being held by our Father Mother God! For me, part of being like a child is realizing that we’re not just surviving, toughing it out and trying to know it all and do it all… But to truly be open to God literally as the ever-present Father Mother Teacher Healer… Giving us and showing us all we need to live and grow and share with the whole world :))
i like this tought as it expresses all qualities of genorosity, innocence, meekness , self denial and purity. every time when i think about this quality it makes me feel as a small child in front of his father.
Boy can I relate-I know exactly how you feel. For my whole life I’ve been wanting to controlling parts if my life. Giving up this control for God to direct my whole life – and BE my Life – was so hard for me because I didn’t believe or see that good really was all-hence the reason why I wanted to have control. I’ve found the key (at least for me) to trusting God and trusting that good is all, is understanding God’s love for us, Her children. For me, it was seeig the my love I have is just like Gods love. My love for a friend or something that seemingly belonged to me makes me want to protect it or control the good in a certain way. Therefore, Gods love for me or the good in a citation would surely mean God would also want to protect and control that good. I find security in letting God direct Life by knowing Her love for all She created and all that is – THIS is something I can put my trust in.
I love that thought. It is so easy to see children’s purity and innocence and gives me a clear example of qualities I can be expressing.