“Unless you turn and become like little children…”

Entering the fourth quarter of life I began to think about some of the conditional scriptures like “unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3) and rather than find a book by a crusty old theologian I decided to consult the experts. My nephew’s son and daughter (8 and 5 years of age). 

The first thing I noticed was that they had no (memorable) past and no concept of the future:- no point arranging a meeting for ice cream at 3pm a week on Tuesday with these kids. They live in the moment whereas I spend much of my time looking back or in fast forward. 

Over breakfast the little girl was not too enthusiastic to eat; I pointed out that if she finished her breakfast it would help her grow taller (a desirable result) and so she finished it and then stood on her chair, and climbed onto the table to check my hypothesis as she towered a quarter inch above me, satisfied that she had indeed grown since our last meeting. 

Next the boy, with the natural desire to test his strength, invited me to practice boxing and MMA,  I was able to successfully block a volley of rights and lefts but the surprise haymaker at the end ‘rattled the bones of my ancestors’ and his face lit up with delight. We are our Father’s sons (The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name Exodus 15:3) I remembered a similar training session with his Dad 25 years before. 

Next the little girl, after finding her crayons, led me by the hand into the garden, which is her artist studio and I assisted in her latest creation; the result would make Picasso weep for his lack of imagination and she showed it around later to delight her audience. (May she never run out of colours!) 

Then despite a lack of gymnastic equipment, I proved useful again, this time my arm served as a horizontal bar which she could leap onto from the bunk bed and swing on. And before I had time to do the risk assessment she was already in mid-air. We continued until one of us was tired. 

A finale was straight after as I felt the paws of a growling lion cub grip my neck as he leaped onto my back to take down the old buffalo… not this time though! 

If we can become like children, it is to live in the moment, to have complete confidence and trust in God but also to grow, be tested and be ever creative. 

Of course there is a subsequent  question, if we become like little children, how does our Father respond? I think He is fully attentive, delighted at our need for Him, cooperative in answering prayers as a good father is to his earthly children’s requests. 

The angels bow to God’s Holiness and majesty, the kings of the earth fall before His power, the greatest sinners are in awe at His mercy and forgiveness. Perhaps those who become His children climb up onto his throne and playfully pluck an eternal whisker from his chin in the knowledge that there will be no repercussions.

‘Forgive Them’

‘Not forgiving is letting your enemies live rent free inside your head’ was a phrase I found very irritating the first time I heard it, as I had squatters living in my sparsely furnished penthouse at that time. 

One was an old woman, who in more enlightened eras would certainly have been burned at the stake; the other her submissive insidious side-kick whose treachery would give Judas a run for his money whilst showing rather less regret. The more we trust, the greater the opportunity we give people to harm us and the more deeply their betrayal wounds us. 

To forgive is a must. Its importance to the Christian life is enshrined in its conditional mention in the Our Father, ‘forgive us our sins, as we forgive’. And yet it can be so very difficult. 

Often reconciliation is neither likely or desirable if the other party is toxic or abusive and so it’s a solo journey but with God as our guide and prayer to light the way. Perhaps firstly it’s good to acknowledge that we are hurt, that whatever happened was wicked, and that it does matter. Examining the motives or mindset of others after the events won’t get you very far, nor will letting anger fuel your search for justice or revenge. 

Ultimately the key is to pity those who hurt you, to have compassion for their wretchedness. And it is only then that you can truly forgive and pray for them and for their good (rather than conjuring up a fiendish James Bond style death for them). Perhaps you will see them in heaven. 

God Knows (a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins)

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:

“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. 

So heart be still:

What need our little life

Our human life to know,

If God hath comprehension?

In all the dizzy strife

Of things both high and low,

God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will

Is best. The stretch of years

Which wind ahead, so dim

To our imperfect vision,

Are clear to God. Our fears

Are premature; In Him,

All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until

God moves to lift the veil

From our impatient eyes,

When, as the sweeter features

Of Life’s stern face we hail,

Fair beyond all surmise

God’s thought around His creatures

Our mind shall fill

Trust in Me ..by St Faustina

I am going forward through life amidst rainbows and storms, but with my head held high with pride, for I am a royal child. I feel that the blood of Jesus is circulating in my veins, and I have put my trust in the great mercy of the Lord. (992)

Jesus is commanding me to make a novena before the Feast of Mercy, and today I am to begin it for the conversion of the whole world and for the recognition of the Divine Mercy... "so that every soul will praise My goodness. I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy. (1059)

My Jesus, support me when difficult and stormy days come, days of testing, days of ordeal, when suffering and fatigue begin to oppress my body and my soul. Sustain me, Jesus, and give me strength to bear suffering. Set a guard upon my lips that they may address no word of complaint to creatures. Your most merciful Heart is all my hope. I have nothing for my defense but only Your mercy; in it lies all my trust. (1065)

Heaven Sent..

A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter. When returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car.

She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter, she didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do. The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car.

Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "Great God. This is what you sent to help me????" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.

The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car, I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car." He said, "SURE." He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "THANK YOU SO MUCH ... You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour. "The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud ..."THANK YOU, GOD, FOR SENDING ME A PROFESSIONAL! "