Dust Off Your Inner Child
Summer is the season of childhood. It calls forth the carefree inner child from the serious-minded winter worker in each adult. “C’mon! Come outside and play!!” No matter how old we get, there is always that core child-spirit which moves more from WONDER than duty. And it’s that child-spirit that most firmly grounds us in God, because it thrives on wonder, not worry. It makes sense that Jesus, who was teaching us how to find God, cautioned us with: “Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Recently, I watched my two little grandnephews at play and it has been a stirring meditation about the holiness of the inner child, that we each have, but may dismiss or forget. I watched 18-month-old Finn fearlessly jump into Grandma’s little plastic pool—in all his clothes-- before they could even get his suit on! Pure delight—as the sun warmed him and the water cooled him. He was totally enthralled with the water sprinklers in the sides of the little pool, that spurted out delightful waterspouts that soon became his drinking fountain!! It was a seamless, full-on emergence into a new “toy,” a complete engagement in a new experience with no holding back! The openness on his face was a meditation on the freedom of entering trustingly into the new or unknown.
Days earlier I had had a sweet meditation watching 12-month-old Owen celebrating his first birthday party at an indoor “adventure factory”. The first thing I saw when I stepped into this miniature wonder world was Owen’s face beaming radiant joy! He squealed when he saw me—he was LOST in a room full of things to climb or slide down or jump on, and he was bursting with utter delight! I witnessed the ability of children to enter into PLAY! Set loose in a child’s wonderland, Owen and his little pals played with squeals of abandon, somehow trusting that the loving adults around them had watchful eyes guarding all the entranced 1–5-year-olds.
Summer calls to the child in us “Wake up, Little One, you’re overdue for fun and wonder.” “But I’m too busy,” we protest. And God says: “Nonsense!” Or maybe another adult excuse: “But it’s too hot out!” Ever notice though, that you never minded or even noticed the heat (or cold) when you were a child playing outside—for hours. Perhaps God uses the children to remind us to not let our spirits dry up or become too sad.
Let the Angels of summer draw us out to the green and fresh flowing wonder of Earth’s summer life. May we wisely welcome vacation days, refreshing retreats, and languorous moments as the Creator restores our winter-weary souls. Let’s open our eyes to the season of child energy—to the joys and splashes and picnics and popsicles that awaken our too-serious weary adult minds and bodies to the limitless beauty and aliveness of summer.