What do you miss the most right now?
- shelbypayne
- Jun 3, 2015
- 2 min read
My neighborhood best friend, breakfast for lunch at school, the red barn house, combing the rocky beaches for shells and treasures. The moments when my mind wasn't clouded with the injustices of the world, or the worries of recruiting business, and bringing in the next pay check to fulfill my too-busy life of endless work.
Youthful innocence. Wasn’t it nice? The innocence that led me to build forts in the tall shaded woods with my little brother. Innocence that marched me to the marina market and the grin that would appear as I purchased 10 cent hard candy from my slim daily earnings of selling shiny rocks to my neighbors. (Yes, this really happened. Gracious people.)
I so often crave a child-like life, free and whimsical in the worries that only last a minute- or five. The innocence and ignorance when my parents argued and divorced and the optimism and opportunity that came when we moved for the eleventh time in 12 years.
Yeah, I miss this. I miss it, I miss it, I miss it. But why does it seem so far away, so hard to grasp again? My too holy and wonderful adult life always takes precedence over my child like ways. Ain’t that the truth. We are so quick to move onto the next “adult” task instead of approaching life with innocence and freedom we possess as a youngin’
Jesus tells the disciples in Mark 10 that “children are at the very center of life in the Kingdom.” He instructs them by adding “Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”. When I was a child my treasures were stick houses and 10 cent candy. That is far off from the degree that I am working towards, the business I own, my appearance, or the car that I drive. These treasures do not resemble innocence, but rather bondage to a life occupied with “what’s next?” a life centered around “I need that. I need to achieve the best.”
What I miss most is buried under the 21+ layers of wear and tear on my body. So i’m slowly pulling them away. Bit by bit, regaining the wisdom and freeness of youthful innocence.
