Having Faith Like A Little Child

"Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."
                      - Matthew 18:3

When I was younger, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I simply would always reply, "I just want to stay a kid."  
To this day I don't necessarily want to be a kid but I want only to have that sort of freedom that I once had when I was young.  
I'm sure we've thought back to childhood memories and we remember how we felt.  We remember how we viewed the world.  We were, for the most part, Carefree - climbing trees, riding bikes, making clubs and to us, everyday was and adventure.
Why were we so free?  Why was it so easy to get excited about the simpler things?
Well, part of it is that we simply knew less, and dreamed more.  I think as we get older we learn more, but not only that; we seem to want to understand everything.  It was the-not-knowing that nutured part of our innocence that we so dearly want to protect in this world. Most of that freedom came from having little responsibilities and we Trusted our parents to care for us, clothe us and feed us.  They guided us down the path they thought was best for us, and we trusted them to do this.  We may have had some struggles and fears but most of us had our parents to fall back on.  Therefore, we were more free.  We knew we could trust our parents, and that made life that much more enjoyable - that much more simpler.
Now we are adults.  Now we are more knowledgeable to take care of ourselves.  We naturally no longer need to rely on our parents to provide us everything.  We also know more and we begin to take on responsibilities.  And, since we are in a world of good and evil, with those responsibilities may come fear and worry.  We begin to naturally leave the trust and security we had from our parents and try to start trusting ourselves to get us what we think we want and need.   We soon notice that the cares of this world are weighing us down-the temptations, past wounds, trials.  Our once easy excitement and innocence slowly leaves our heart as we begin to pick up more cares of this world.
We wonder, who will guide us?  Who will rescue us?  We are tired of trying to do it on our own, so deep down we long for someone else to save us,someone else to fall back on, someone else to whisper to our heart that freedom is still possible but then also wondering where it has gone?

I think being a child is a gift.  - A gift from God so that we could experience a small taste of the freedom that we were all made for. This taste is to show us that freedom is real.  That there is more to life. That there is hope. And when we look at little children, let us be reminded and moved by their simplicity, their freedom, their  innocence...
Instead of having our parents to trust and hold us when we needed them, Jesus is telling us,
"Trust me now. You know that I am here and I am your Father, even if you did not have the perfect parents, know that  I am many times better than they, for I am your perfect Father and Mary is your perfect Mother.  Let me now guide your ways.  I will always know what's best for you.  Let me care for you, clothe you, and feed you.  Let me take those worries and stresses and carry them - Let me carry you.  Have faith in me like you did with your parents. Have the faith like a little Child.  I will never you let you down.  Let me love you. Trust in me. Surrender it all and you will experience that true freedom,  a better freedom - A freedom that comes from a perfect love."
 I think this is what God is referring to when he says "have faith like a little child." We might be adults, but we will always be like children who need and are searching for their perfect Father. We are searching for that freedom we were made for -  that perfect love.
Trust is a gift. We must ask for it and always pray.  We must get to know our Father better, for it easier to trust someone we know.  Once we open our hearts and let God take control, then we are trusting.  It is a journey.  It is a journey we must all take because, "unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

"My dear sweet child, reach out and take My hand , and never let go."


>St. Therese of Lisieux-pray for us<