I remember my father talking to me in the car one day when I must have been about 10 years old. He said "Pog," (that was my family's nick name for me) "you've lost your laugh." I remember the laugh that I had lost - it was a belly laugh; my daughter has it... it rumbles up from deep within her and bursts out of her mouth when something is funny.
This morning Facebook reminded me of a memory of my son, 5 years ago when he was 2 years old eating a chocolate cupcake with a smile as wide as the moon. And chocolate everywhere.
As I look at the nearly 2 year old and the 7 year old that he has become I am sad to see that his 'inner child' is slowly being buried beneath the cares of this world. I know that my 'inner child' is also firmly buried under the pressure of day to day life. And I'm sad to confess that I might be a part of the team of circumstances that are slowly pressing his 'inner child' into submission.
But God created me in his image. That inner child - in its purest form is God's image in me.
So I'm learning to rediscover that 'inner child'.
I'm learning to play more games and not take life as seriously as I seem to be taking it at the moment. On the weekend we bought Nerf Guns and shot each other; I need more of that.
I need to watch less news and listen to less talk radio and learn to dance and sing more.
Jesus reminds us:
"...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
- Matthew 18:3
So - pray for us, pray for our humanity, pray for me pray for the safety and security that every child of God needs.
And play more.
