Jumping up and down.
12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” Mark 2:12
Kids. Five days a week I'm lucky enough to spend my time learning from and watching four and five years adjust and grow into the world around them. There are lots of cute things about kids but one of my favorite things about them is their awe and astonishment with the tiniest of life's pleasures. The smallest thing can excite them to the point that they are jumping up and down or grinning uncontrollably. Kids find that joy in things like a valentine's cupcake, or the chance to listen to their favorite book, or the three minutes they get to spend dancing to the "Friday" song every Friday in the case of my class. These simple things put a smile on my face and bring me joy because I see honest excitement on those kid's faces as they experience each of them. As time goes on though, we lose that childlike excitement as the real world and real problems begin to cloud what is pure and good in our lives. But the gift we have been given is that each day we have a God who provides real moments, greater then cupcakes or dancing, that remind us He is there and that excite us like a kid who once again gets to hear his favorite part of the story.
Sometimes my experiences are so beyond words that I get giddy like a kid when I talk about them. So many times in my life there are moments that are so amazing and unimaginable I can't help but smile and believe wholeheartedly in the power of God behind those experiences. But because we live in a world where "adult" and "composed" is cool, I feel at times like I have to hide that urge to jump up and down with excitement! I guess unless you truly understand and open your heart to the power of God's love and have seen Him work in both the subtle and not so subtle ways in your life and in your story, than this childlike excitement and faith seems a bit ridiculous. But once you see God moving you can't control it. His grace consumes you and it's all you know. No longer do you get pure joy out of the things of this world, but you are filled with complete and utter awe out of knowing God is working in your life and will continue to work in your life always. So I guess what I'm trying to say is once you know God well enough to be consumed by that childlike faith and the trust that in all things He will provide and conquer, you might be looked at like you are crazy and silly and just way too over the top, but that overflow of excitement becomes contagious and even if they don't say it in the moment, in a quest to find that happiness you know, people will start to seek out more of what makes you happy! And in turn they will seek God. I think that's God's plan that our lives will be so filled with His grace that without even knowing it, just by living our lives with a childlike faith in Him, we are bringing people closer to Him.
If you are lucky enough to have a childlike faith and the chance to get over the top excited about God's work in your life, know it is a blessing. Continue to be in awe of God and learn to be in awe of how He is using you to greater glorify Him. Don't hold back or hide His love for you. He needs you to bring people closer to Him. Those who have never seen anything like the power of God in their lives before, might just learn through you, that it's there if they seek it and seek Him fully.
Kids. Five days a week I'm lucky enough to spend my time learning from and watching four and five years adjust and grow into the world around them. There are lots of cute things about kids but one of my favorite things about them is their awe and astonishment with the tiniest of life's pleasures. The smallest thing can excite them to the point that they are jumping up and down or grinning uncontrollably. Kids find that joy in things like a valentine's cupcake, or the chance to listen to their favorite book, or the three minutes they get to spend dancing to the "Friday" song every Friday in the case of my class. These simple things put a smile on my face and bring me joy because I see honest excitement on those kid's faces as they experience each of them. As time goes on though, we lose that childlike excitement as the real world and real problems begin to cloud what is pure and good in our lives. But the gift we have been given is that each day we have a God who provides real moments, greater then cupcakes or dancing, that remind us He is there and that excite us like a kid who once again gets to hear his favorite part of the story.
Sometimes my experiences are so beyond words that I get giddy like a kid when I talk about them. So many times in my life there are moments that are so amazing and unimaginable I can't help but smile and believe wholeheartedly in the power of God behind those experiences. But because we live in a world where "adult" and "composed" is cool, I feel at times like I have to hide that urge to jump up and down with excitement! I guess unless you truly understand and open your heart to the power of God's love and have seen Him work in both the subtle and not so subtle ways in your life and in your story, than this childlike excitement and faith seems a bit ridiculous. But once you see God moving you can't control it. His grace consumes you and it's all you know. No longer do you get pure joy out of the things of this world, but you are filled with complete and utter awe out of knowing God is working in your life and will continue to work in your life always. So I guess what I'm trying to say is once you know God well enough to be consumed by that childlike faith and the trust that in all things He will provide and conquer, you might be looked at like you are crazy and silly and just way too over the top, but that overflow of excitement becomes contagious and even if they don't say it in the moment, in a quest to find that happiness you know, people will start to seek out more of what makes you happy! And in turn they will seek God. I think that's God's plan that our lives will be so filled with His grace that without even knowing it, just by living our lives with a childlike faith in Him, we are bringing people closer to Him.
If you are lucky enough to have a childlike faith and the chance to get over the top excited about God's work in your life, know it is a blessing. Continue to be in awe of God and learn to be in awe of how He is using you to greater glorify Him. Don't hold back or hide His love for you. He needs you to bring people closer to Him. Those who have never seen anything like the power of God in their lives before, might just learn through you, that it's there if they seek it and seek Him fully.
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