On Staying Young at Heart

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you will turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

The other day I was driving to work and, to be honest, 7:30 a.m. never seems to get easier. Not even after six years of the same job. I've never been a morning person, but one of the amazing things about leaving that early is seeing the sky marbled in pinks, purples, and that early morning grayish-blue. I listen to music to wake me up and just try to enjoy the ride. As I was driving, Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" came on the radio. I love that song for a lot of reasons, but in particular the line: 'Cause, honey, your soul // could never grow old // it's evergreen. It hits me hard every time, and that morning tears actually sprang to my eyes. I started wondering: why is it that I love that line so much? As I wondered, Matthew 18 came into my mind. When the disciples ask Jesus who the greatest in heaven is, Jesus doesn't answer with a name, not even his own. Instead, He shows the disciples a child, and replies that unless they become like that little one they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. No doubt the disciples were taken aback; instead of receiving an answer to the question they had probably all been arguing about a moment before, they were presented with another problem: what does it mean to become like a child?

This passage has been analyzed many times by many people, but the goodness of scripture is that it is living and breathing and alive, and no matter how many times you come back to it, it will still give you a fresh perspective. So when this passage popped in my head the same day as the Ed Sheeran song, I knew they were speaking the same message straight to my heart. I've always been an emotional person, an excitable person. I feel so young in so many ways, and one of the biggest is how I react to situations. I love sharing my opinions and you bet I always have one. If something is funny, I laugh, pretty loudly and annoyingly and often. I'm moved to tears over beautiful things. If I see a sad movie or read a sad book, I cry. When I see injustice, unfairness, or cruelty, I experience a visceral reaction deep in my soul. Chances are you experience these same feelings to a varying degree, but never as strongly as we did when were children. Do you remember your sense of wonder as a child? How absolutely excited you got over the the smallest of things? And when something terrible happened, no matter how small, you were so upset that you probably had to take a nap after, so exhausting was your reaction.

When something was funny, boy did you laugh. When you had something to share, it couldn't help but burst out. You liked what was good. You hated what was bad. You really felt things, and they affected you. You weren't afraid to express your innermost feelings. However, we all inevitably reach a time in our life when this starts to change. Fear creeps in, and we're afraid to react. We're afraid to share how we feel. We're afraid to laugh at something for fear of looking "stupid." The unfairness, injustice, and cruelty that once moved us to tears and action slips by unnoticed. Our sense of wonder is diminished and we begin to underestimate everything that we once lived for: being held, holding hands, laughing unreservedly, our own opinions and feelings, truth, beauty, and simple fun. Valuing these is what it means to be childlike, what it means to be forever young, this is why age is nothing more than a number. The best and most beautiful people I know are the ones who, like children, still allow themselves to feel deeply. They are the ones who let life affect them. When you let life affect you, you are seeing Jesus in all things, because when He is there everything is beautiful, everything is worthy of wonder, everything will bring joy that cannot be contained. When He is absent there is unfairness, cruelty, and injustice, and your soul cannot help but be moved to seek what is missing.

I think that's what it means to be like a child, that's what it means to have a soul that is forever green and fresh. I don't know about you, but I desire that with an unceasing passion. And when Ed Sheeran sings about it (no doubt unknowingly), I'm reminded how much I desire to live that way myself, to surround myself with friends who live that way, and to find a spouse with the same attitude. What could be more beautiful than a person who lives such a life, and constantly reminds you do the same? What could be more valuable than a circle of friends who call you to that? What could be more magnificent than a couple who will enter heaven together because all their life long they sought Jesus with an obvious faith? Jesus calls us to live authentically and to be true to ourselves, for when we are true to ourselves we are honoring the One who created us. It is then that we are the most childlike, recognizing what is good, true, and beautiful, and despising anything which is not. Our sharing of it might be met with indifference, misunderstanding or ridicule, but it will always be worth it. Always. So I challenge you tonight, let life affect you, and don't be afraid to share it when it does. Be authentic, and then be unapologetic. And thanks to Ed Sheeran for writing such thoughtful lyrics, without which I'd never have spent such a nice hour in Starbucks preparing to share them with you.

P.S. After typing the original post I got in my car to drive home, turned on the radio, and what was playing? None other than the exact song that I just finished writing about. If that wasn't Jesus blessing this post, I don't know what was.