One of the things many people do with their children is play the reverse the age game. You know the game, when you are 35 you reverse it and you are 53. Your kid is 07, you reverse it and they are 70. So they get to shout, “I’m older than you are!”
The other day, Lilli was trying to figure out how old I was going to be on my birthday this Saturday, and she realized that I am the same coming and going. 44 is the same forwards and backwards. So of course I had to reply that she was “…still older than me. So she should go out and shovel the snow.” As you might expect, that response was not met with enthusiasm.
So there I was, shovel in hand, like many of us the past few weeks, and at the same time feeling older and younger. The shoulder and back were sore from hauling and tossing that snow around. Yet with a big pile of snow in the front yard, it was just yelling for a snow fort to be carved out of it. So I jumped right in there and, together with Lilli, made a one-bedroom snow condo. It was a blast, sending my mind back to the days when my brother and I would tunnel from the top of the driveway to the bottom, spending hours in the snow.
Yes, my body was feeling its age, but my heart and mind were feeling like a kid. It all felt so fresh, new and relaxing. All of a sudden I forgot where I was, started shoveling the neighbors out, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. When I came in, I was not cold and tired; I was refreshed.
In Matthew, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
We talk about our children growing up too fast. But why is it that we grow old quicker? Why is it that we become that grumpy old man (or woman) from the time we hit our mid 20’s or so, and keep going down hill from there?
It is a shame that for many of us, it takes that once every 5-7 year snowstorm, for us to truly step back, become like children, and enjoy the kingdom on earth that God has blessed us with.
No comments:
Post a Comment