Remember the days of yesterdays past when life was simple and carefree; when brilliant sunshine would send bare feet scampering for the door, unconcerned by mussed hair and misshapen clothes. For to grab every minute of the day’s golden rays was set as the highest priority, and the only burden came from knowing dusk would arrive before it was welcome. Yet, always hoping the sun would forget he needed a rest and be pleased to continue beaming so the day would never come to an end.
How many moments were spent in these wishes of “forever” being suspended over a single instance so enjoyment could go on uninterrupted without the buzz of the street lights signaling the hour, blaring the time without ever speaking? Though each one knew this fluorescent click meant it was time to head in, so with a bit of reluctance, they would gather up toys and instruments of play, before going home for the day, unhappy that evening had come along once again to spoil all the fun.
Oh, how charmed were those days when the only need was amusement and levity was the only aim; when the ones in charge were not cross over hours spent living in imagination. For these allowances are given to the young, of indulging in frivolity, before they too feel the weight of responsibility pulling them down to reality by the more serious matters of life. For this reason, the unseasoned are permitted days of lightness, shielded from anything unpleasant, with a guard keeping watch to make sure practicality doesn’t enter too soon, threatening to steal away every trace of delight by breaking the spell cast by innocence and wonder.
Yet, this is the heart that is appealing to Me: one held in a playful spirit that still expresses youthful excitement (though relative dating would show someone a bit older). I love to find My children holding the pleasant disposition of persisting without the pressure of any burdens, having learned to engage life from an interior position, undisturbed by their circumstances.
These now live with joyful hearts because they have discovered the way to keep this tender attitude is by showing “troubled” the door, thus giving innocence the place to stand again. Then upon reconnecting with this humble virtue, something long forgotten is revealed, buried underneath the layers of regret sits the wonder held as a child. Yet, this sentiment was thought to have been lost forever, covered by the many years filled with grievances, depleting any sense of this value from their being. For after the first wave of rejection was felt, they allowed suspicion to do the leading, expecting to encounter only the worst in others. Eventually, innocence became something more gritty, forming calluses over the soft places housing wonder, smothering out anything youthful, shaping a derivative life (an imitation of the one I had originally designed).
Once someone loses this form of honesty, darkness has room to take hold inside and remove any appearance of good humor by suggesting that these emotions are no longer useful, and so, should be cast aside. Then wonder’s voice has no choice but to quiet down and patiently wait for the intruder to be escorted out so he can recover his rightful place again.
Innocence and wonder are quite the duo; when re-established in a life, this charming couple can create a sense of child-likeness again. For after I have been allowed to heal a disgruntled heart, these two companions are happy to become reacquainted and form their tight circle of friendship, eager to restore what was forgotten when the first insult arrived with an injury, making protection the imperative, robbing a person of curiosity and awe, as ugliness and malice became recognizable, causing astonishment to be unsustainable.
Whenever the heavier affairs of life step in, fear and worry are offered as suitable alternatives for the naïve thinking of younger years. These ideas then quickly take over a heart once held with the purest intentions, who only saw others as delightful, considered with fondness right away, for there was no room to have biases form over gender or race. Because innocence opened the way to acceptance, “proximity” was the only requirement when determining a suitable friend, long before there were questions of loyalty, drawing dividing lines designed to set another off-limits. For then, the world felt welcoming and agreeable because apprehension had not yet entered the picture, and uneasiness came from those things held in the imagination, like shadowy closets or things under the bed. But even these cares were no match for sleepy eyes, as drowsiness deepened into pleasant dreams, filled with the glee tomorrow would bring, not yet having met a night overrun with agitation, perplexed by what seemed unsolvable.
Since man measures life in two lengths, innocence and wonder get the short end of the stick, for those tender years are over too quickly, erasing any trace of merriment. So then, most of man’s days hold a pessimistic outlook and carry a sense of trepidation, for experience has shown failure will soon be along, with “dire” coming along shortly after, widening the separation from these childlike attitudes.
Yet, here is the folly that comes to a man’s heart when he ingests the first dose of hardness: what starts out as a small wound, over time and without the proper care, will leave a lasting scar. Then more will form after repeated encounters with severity and injustice, thus establishing the lie that “having a thick skin” is a sure sign of maturity.
But what has a man lost when his heart is untouchable, covered with a hard exterior? Though “shelter” is the idea, of building a guard to prevent further abuse, the real harm is self-inflicted. For what he constructed as protection has stifled the vibrancy of wonder, leaving innocence without a home. Because a man in this state doesn’t see any merits from his younger self, nothing about innocence appears to be practical, and in his experience, wonder will only lead to disappointment. So, with these two sincere attributes absent, life becomes a rather dull affair, shaped by the fear of tomorrow and the uncertainty of what it will hold.
Though he doesn’t realize a change has happened, somewhere along the way he has lost something valuable by giving up these treasured assets (which were traded in on a whim) thinking austerity to be a much better trait. So with this rigid exterior in place, man tucks away the sweetness of innocence, giving wonder no room to breathe. This causes him to see life with a skeptical eye, having distrust as the first point of reference, making him hesitant to believe the sincerity and goodwill of another, always ready to think there is an ulterior motive.
So holding fast to the certainty of his conclusion, man sets up a barrier on the inside, blocking the way back to innocence. Yet, not in the sense of juvenile antics, born of the immature, but a heart kept in purity, where preconceived notions haven’t formed, clouding his view of others.
When My children are found in this condition, a fresh feeling of joy pulsates through their being, with a new sense of elation abounding in their core, internally generated because they have encountered My splendor; for once they have connected with even a part of My glory darkness will not want to stay. This divine meeting allows innocence to resurface and gives wonder the strength to regain some footing, setting each one I have chosen with the correct disposition to walk through their life as My children; who flow easily with laughter because of the delight bubbling up inside is not quenched by any external calamity. For these are resistant to their old habit of recognizing the worst in another, deliberately focusing on the admirable qualities found in those around them, with everyone seen as a friend; who once again appreciate daybreak as a gift, as a reward for just being alive. This is the true spirit of innocence and wonder, which has a more optimistic perspective. For wonder can only see the view innocence has created, and he has set his sights upon Me.
” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ” Matthew 18:2-3
(Received: 8/21/2018)