Growing Up

 Thinking about my newest family member, my great-grandson and watching him grow and learn more about the world around him, has shown me a clear picture of life's stages and milestones as we grow and learn about this broken world and the next perfect home now being created for our eventual home, if we choose to walk toward it.

He already has strong opinions on what he wants and needs at 9 months and insists on getting it   N O W!  As his simple diet gives him strength and his eyes see more things just out of reach, he will begin to try to get what he wants and he will squirm, crawl, climb and stretch out his hands to reach something new, something so attractive that he will push himself to find a way--learning to walk, to extend his reach to sample more new things daily. Never satisfied to stay quietly in his crib, playing with simple toys that formerly amused him, he grows as his vision of the world grows.

Occasionally, a child is born with problems that fail to allow him to grow and mature due to our imperfect world, tainted by sin of our first mother and everyone is saddened by the tragedy of its fail to grow and mature, perhaps growing to adult size, without the ability to care for himself, thrive or understand the world around him.

Perhaps that is how our Father God sees us, watching us discover new things about the world we hope and try to ready ourselves for--or are we sitting in our crib, waiting for someone to feed us and bring us new toys to entertain us, never venturing to crawl across His floor, never trying to use our unformed muscles to extend our reach, our potential capabilities we were born with.

Many Christians are content to live in the shadow of His palace, feeling our way through life, wishing to become wiser, stronger, bolder, to prove our devotion, yet never see why we're missing the life like other people we know--with abilities we can only dream of. We're now bored by the pablum for babies and covet the meat other Christians seem to thrive on, with their strong teeth devouring strength-giving vegetables and proteins. 

We've read about the exploits of God's people throughout time and finally we cry out to our Father, "You used them and blessed them mightily--why not give me those abilities?"

Then, if we truly listen for His reply, we hear Him say, "I thought you'd never ask. Remember, I challenged you, "You have not because you ask not?"

As your eyesight clears, you can now begin a dialog with your Creator as you grow and learn what He expects you to do: learn, grow, serve, and love, one day at a time.

        “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” - Romans 8:26