13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. ~Mark 10:13-16 (The Message)
Last week was some kind of week for me and my little family. One of those weeks that just brings you back to prayer.
If you’ve been reading with me from the beginning, you know that at some point along the way, my conversation with God changed from a constant conversation, to one that was more formal and scheduled.
But this week, God and I have been walking together, talking together, and just sitting together. We were back to being constant companions and it was nice.
It made me wonder why it had seemed so hard to get back to it. I was probably just trying too hard. Putting too much thought into it but as soon as I felt that need to connect, that need for comfort and intervention, I went right back to the Dear God prayers of my youth and childhood. I didn’t care how they sounded only that they were heard.
I don’t think we should only ever pray out of desperation of course, but I do think there is something to that, in that it can bring us back to our child-like faith.
I didn’t just begin to pray the desperate prayers of a mother, though, I also continued throughout the day, with prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers of praise. Sometimes prayers of checking in or just breath prayers on big heavy sighs where I don’t have to speak or think because God just knows what’s on my heart. And aren’t all those the best kinds of prayers?
I think perhaps this is more like what Jesus was talking about above. Letting go of the rules, of how things look or sound, of trying to be a “grown up,” and just being real with God, just being happy to walk, play, talk, and sing with God. Being ourselves, being free, letting go and just being present with God in our child-like manner.
This is where I found comfort this week and this is where I want to stay. We are still two weeks out from Easter and I think I’ve found Jesus on my path again, not that he left, just that I found him again reminding me to have fun with our friend, God, to just be in God’s presence and enjoy it with out all the pretense of the world getting in way. Perhaps that’s just what the Kin’dom of God is!
AND, just so you know, everything is fine in my little family, it’s just a case of one of us hurting and all of us hurting with them. You know, just being a family and loving one another.
Dear God,
It’s me again, with my friends. Thank you for waiting along the path for us to discover your presence again. Help us to remember to let go and be more child-like in our life, our living, in our praying and in our faith. Thank you for the glimpse of your Kin’dom in the here and now of every day life.
Amen.
Until next time… ♥️
Simply Sherri 
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