When an old dog needs to learn new tricks, the puppies sometimes lead the way.
At 18 months old, my youngest granddaughter Callie was curious when the smallest crumb left on the kitchen floor became a tasty treat or a play toy. She often imitated barks from her dogs, tweets from visiting birds, and lazy meows from her mellow cat. She unconsciously swayed to the beat of any music. Callie came into the world with an innate love for “reading” books aloud. She especially loved having her stuffed, floppy-eared bunny quietly listening next to her.
Back then, I had two questions rubbing a raw spot in my heart. On one hand, I frequently asked myself, “Are you willing to adapt your routine expressions of love to meet the needs of others?” On the other hand, I wondered how willing I was to drop my walls enough to let others know how much I needed their love. Adapting felt uncomfortably awkward, and needy felt weak.
I learned many love lessons by watching my little Callie girl – one who still interacts honestly and innocently. Fortunately, she’s had no reason to build any walls yet, so these unguarded moments caught my eye:
• When Callie was hungry, she went to the pantry and pointed to what she wanted.
• When she was hurt, she crawled into my lap for some sympathy.
• Even though she was often content to play alone, she still wanted someone nearby.
• When she got tired and cranky, she wanted to be held.
• She gets a thrill out of feeding me Cheerios.
• She will look for you until you’re found if you leave the room.
• Now that she’s five, she still laughs when you chase her and giggles when she’s tickled.
We were made for love. So, when did we get too old to enjoy the world around us? When did we stop letting people know what we want and need? When did our time become so short, our innocent hugs become so awkward, and our acts, words, and gifts of kindness cause us to feel indebted rather than loved?
After letting those observations of Callie simmer for a while, I learned that we were not made to live independently of one another. We were made for relationships and community. We were made to be interdependent people who ultimately rely on God for everything. Graciously accepting His love gives us confidence to adapt our expressions of love to meet others’ needs. Accepting God’s love also humbles us enough to transparently display our need for others’ love. God gives us a variety of people to help us know how to give and receive it. His love makes us feel secure all the way around.
I suppose this grandmother has finally learned that we came into this world with a heart filled with love, which takes confidence and humility to maintain. Those things only come in their purest form from God. Maybe we should take some time to grab a hand and dance to some music, eat a few Cheerios, laugh until we cry, and just be held. And then slowly read this aloud to any floppy-eared animal we can find:
“Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples to come around him, and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be content to be last and become a servant to all.’ Then he had a child come and stand among them. He wrapped the child in his arms and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes not only me, but the one who sent me.”’ (Mark 9:35-37 TPT)
“The parents kept bringing their little children to Jesus so that he would lay his hands on them and bless them. But the disciples kept rebuking and scolding the people for doing it. When Jesus saw what was happening, he became indignant with his disciples and said to them, ‘Let all the little children come to me and never hinder them! Don’t you know that God’s kingdom exists for such as these? Listen to the truth I speak: Whoever does not open their arms to receive God’s kingdom like a teachable child will never enter it.’ Then he embraced each child, and laying his hands on them, he lovingly blessed each one.” (Mark 10:13-16 TPT)
Donna Jackson
Lean into Jesus Ministries
http://www.perfectionroad.com
#donnajacksonblogs