Through the Eyes of a Child

"An elementary school teacher gave her students some time to color and draw what ever they wanted. She walked around asking her students what they were drawing. She came up to one little boy and asked him what he was drawing. "God" her replied. She told him that that was impossible, for no one knows what God looks like. The child smugly responded with his crayons in hand, "Well they will in a few moments then won't they?"

This story was shared with my class today in church, and I began to wonder, which would God prefer? The lofty theological arguments that many scholars try to use to describe his nature? or the yellow stick figure with a halo around his head? God himself said that it was by small and simple means that he brought to pass great things. So why do people try so hard to define him in large flouncy explanations? Maybe that is why they fail so often, they are weighed down by the weight of their own wings.

Why can't he simply be our spiritual Father in Heaven, who sent us down here to learn, grow, and progress so we can have chance to obtain what we desired when we started our journey? to become like him, having a body and spiritually attuned nature that can live the life of a God. Why does mankind insist that because this life is hard, painful, and often mundane that God must not love us? Isn't it also Fun, Beautiful, and wonderfully exciting?  Like using the infinite life cheat on a video game, Life wouldn't be fun if it wasn't challenging. A race would be pointless if everyone was the fastest, skydiving not fun if there wasn't the fear of death, if we'd never have had to eat cold beans for the can, we could never enjoy a meal at Olive Garden. the war of life is full of goods and bads, wouldn't it be best to just stop complaining, put on your protective armor, and charge into battle swinging?

We need to be like the little children, Innocence is bliss, but not ignorance. there is a difference. To be corrupted by the self-centered, self-destructive little bubble that bemoans "woe is me" is not happiness and is not the doctrine of God. To be unblemished, pure, white, and clean. washed in the living waters of repentance, that is to be innocent, that is to be as a child. It starts with the belief that God is simple. It starts with the belief that while  we don't understand everything that happens in our life, one day we will look back and see the purpose and understand, and then it will all seem so simple.

There are a lot of niceties of my faith that I don't as of yet understand fully, but I know this, i can except them for what they are worth, and I have faith that one day the larger picture can be revealed to me. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is one founded on Truth, I believe that Jesus Christ is my savior, and I enjoy the internal struggle to learn the things of God.

I'm going to try to write more spiritual posts every sunday, usually on my thoughts either during church or during the week, so you can look forward to that. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog regularly! it motivates me to keep writing when I see that people are interested in what I have to say.