Child’s Play

“What the brain does determines what the body does, and what the body does changes the environment — these changes we make in the world come back to the brain through the body.”

What happens early in a child’s life will shape what happens later. People moving in today’s world, be they babies or adults, tend to view the world with heads and eyes aligned with strife, indecision, and disagreement.

*When you’re a kid, anything goes! There are no rules that forbid you from asking more than five questions at one time, that you can’t wear a mask or crown to the mall, or that you can’t wear one polka dot sock and a blue one. Children are proud of the things they do and couldn’t care less about who catches them in their “silly” moments.

Adults, on the other hand, tend to get shy and embarrassed when caught doing foolish and harmless things that make them happy. Without realizing it, we constantly worry about what other people are going to think of us. When we do the things we love, we should follow the examples of our children and be less concerned about other people’s opinions.

*As scary as it sounds, children will befriend anyone who gives them attention and seems friendly. Toddlers, for example, will often be quite happy to go up to a stranger in a grocery store and ask why he or she is buying one flavor instead of another. As adults, we tend to know that not everyone has our best interests at heart. Many times that prevents us from making an effort to interact with the person behind us in a queue, for example, and we’re more likely to just turn to our cell phones. Yes, we should teach our children about the dangers of talking and befriending strangers, but as adults, we should also learn that it’s sometimes beneficial to interactwith others as often as we can as we go through our daily lives.

*Most of the time children are excited about life. They ask millions of questions and they can run around performing feats of seemingly inconsequential self-entertainment for hours. They are just natural adventure seekers and we need to remember that children see the world through eyes of innocence and wonder, something that they can teach us about noticing the small things that make life more meaningful. Things that we often overlook or take for granted. Adults tend to be less inquisitive and more oblivious to the wonders of the world around and inside of them.

*Getting dirty is one of the most enjoyable things to do when you are a child. They love getting their hands dirty, walking in the rain, their clothes soaking wet and their shoes water-logged. When was the last time you had a chance to go to the beach and build a sand castle? Or when was the last time you drove through the park and swung on a swing, slid down the “slide of doom”, hung from the rings, or waited for a kiss and a cuddle?
As adults, we always feel we have “more important” things to do. We can learn a thing or two from children about the importance of taking the time to enjoy what we do and just have fun!

*Children’s imaginations are often mind-blowing! They’re not limited by logic, nor do they care if it’s real or not — if it’s in their mind, anything is possible! In the life of an adult, we have been programmed to think things through for them to make sense, and most of the time we don’t do the sensible thing anyway. We need to adopt a more imaginative mindset, especially when it comes to pursuing our longer goals– to turn our minds into the child within and believe without a doubt that anything is possible. You just have to use your imagination and believe it!

When a child scans a canvas of a painting, their eyes are caught by the shapes and colors that stand out. Adults interpret the whole scene. Who is much the wiser?

Rediscover the wonder, imagination, and joy of just having fun through the eyes of your child. It will change your life forever. Theres no bad time to start. Theres no wrong way to do it. It doesn’t have to sound pretty, just tell it out loud! Tell God whats really on your mind and how you can make all things right. Just give it a try. He’ll put you in touch with the child in you and put you back together.

What a freind we have in Jesus…

The years just flew by

But they would never let go

Of the glow of the child in me

And that little flame

Remains a friend

Still resides in me

It never goes away

And I like it that way

Blessings dear friends,