Journeying to Grace

I was recently reminded that sometimes it takes a child to show us a better way. Their spontaneity and curiosity make for good distractions from our established routines and preset expectations. They bring new joy and wonder to what we might consider ordinary and familiar. Their excitement is genuine, and they want to share it. On multiple outings over several days, I watched a small child as she got ‘up close’ to better experience new things. In fairness, we are talking about a small child being eye-to-eye through the glass with wonderful water creatures at an aquarium, encountering life-like robotic dinosaurs, sifting through sand for treasures, and handling ‘nice’ bugs with great care. Obviously, these fun children’s activities don’t compare to the more mature experiences and challenges we face, but I found a prayerful lesson in having such trust and freedom to get ‘up close’ to better experience what’s right in front of us.

This little one was drawn toward these encounters with enthusiasm, not held back by fear of something that was unfamiliar. Without any prejudgment to discourage or burden her, she was motivated by the desire and eagerness to simply discover and engage. It seemed so simple and natural, yet it caused me to take notice. What a good model to use when our routines get to be a little too routine, when our expectations and prejudgments guide us much more than they should, and when we get caught up in what isn’t going our way instead of acknowledging what is going our way. Especially in these times, the Lord invites us to get up close and encounter Him. The Lord eagerly awaits our reaching for Him and, in freedom from our fears, experiencing the wonder of what He has to show us – what we may have been overlooking because we’ve drifted too far away. ‘Draw near to God, and He will draw near you.’ (James 4:8)

Like a child experiencing the joy of a new wonder up close, there is wonder for us to see and experience when in faith and trust we seek to encounter the Lord up close.  ‘Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.’ (Heb 10:22)