Learning From Children...

Hello, friends! 

This week I had the chance to hang out with some pretty cool little kids both in person as well as via Skype.  Meg and I went to South Dakota to visit my sister-in-law and her brand new baby girl.  I also got to Skype with my sister and her daughter.  As I was hanging out with them, I had a few thoughts about how observing children can give insight into humanity as a whole.  Here are a few of those thoughts. 

Lesson 1: Practice makes progress and progress is fun.  It was just about a year ago this week that I drove to South Dakota to ask Meg's family if I could ask her to marry me.  While I was in Sioux Falls, I got the chance to read my (now) niece Elena's first book with her.  She did a great job sounding out words and using the pictures and context to figure out what words were.  It was a slow go but it was reading nonetheless. 

This time, I heard Elena as she read to her new baby sister Claire.  It was absolutely amazing how much better she's gotten at reading!  Not only is she faster, but she also recognizes words quicker and has a larger vocabulary.  The trick was practice.  She reads a story to her mom before going to bed every night.  She reads during the day.  I'm pretty sure she reads in school.  The gal may only be in kindergarten but she is already reading well and I think she enjoys it more than she did before because she's better at it. 

Watching Elena, it got me thinking about the Spiritual disciplines that I have in my life, mainly time with in the Word, listening prayer, and Sabbath.  In each of those disciplines, the first attempts were a rough go.  The Word wasn't speaking to me.  I wasn't hearing from Jesus.  I slept too much, ate too much, and ended up more exhausted than when I started.  However, I've kept at it and as I have continued to pursue those disciplines, I've gotten better at them.  On top of that, I've experienced more joy during those times because I have gotten better. 

Lesson 2: We do not react well when we do not get what we want.  2 stories here.  My nephew Grant is a great little kid.  He is full of energy and usually smiling.  He's also a great helper and a great hugger.  We had a ton of fun playing this week.  Our favorite game was me throwing a mini beach ball and him hitting it with his stuffed animals.  He has pretty good hand eye coodination for a 4 year old.   

My niece Vienna (on my side of the family) is also amazing.  She's not quite a year and a half but she already shows signs of being pretty awesome.  Yesterday she had a blast putting away, and then taking out again, all her letter puzzle pieces.  She can blow kisses, say hello and goodbye, and is great at Skype pickaboo.  I love both my niece and my nephew very much and I'm sure that they're going to grow up to be great people. 

Both Grant and Vienna have this funny little tendency though.  When you tell them to do something they don't want to do, or tell them they can't do something they want to do, get your earplugs because it is going to get LOUD. 

Mind you, this is nothing new.  Little kids have been throwing tantrums for as long as there have been little kids.  What I thought was interesting was how early in life we develop our selfish nature.  We have to be taught to share.  We have to be taught to trust.  We don't have to be taught to react strongly when we don't get what we want.  That "skill" is with us from the very beginning.  The hard part is learning how to live for others, to live sacrifically like Jesus did. 

Lesson 3: We are constantly in need and that is ok.  I had a blast holding Baby Claire this week.  We talked about baseball and basic chemistry.  We hung out while watching baseball and possibly Say Yes to the Dress.  The one thing that struck me was how helpless she is.  She needs to be fed.  She needs to be changed.  She needs to be burped.  Pretty much the only things that she can do on her own right now are eat, sleep, and poop. 

But, you know what?  Baby Claire is pretty happy.  She's nowhere close to self-sufficient and I think that she's ok with that.  I don't think her pride is hurt that she needs someone to help her with stuff.  Honestly, I don't think she has any concept of pride just yet.  She has needs, people other than her fill them, and that is ok. 

With today being Good Friday, I got to thinking about how I would love to adopt that mentality.  My salvation is not because of something that I did.  It is because of the love of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I have huge needs and God is the only way that I am going to get those needs filled.  The difference is that I feel guilty when I don't "pull my weight" or "do my part," as if there was something I could do to save myself.  It's all God and I have to be ok with that. 

A City Lights update will be coming a little later.  From what I've heard, it was a great experience! 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam