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Childlike Excitement Emily Barton Communications Coordinator
There is nothing quite as magical as being a child at Christmas time. The advent calendar, the presents, feeling like a celebrity because you were a ‘very important’ sheep in the nativity. There is such purity in the excitement of a child, but as we grow, those things start to lose their magic. Advent calendars turn to bowls of muesli; socks turn out to be very practical gifts and the thought of making a sheep costume sends shudders down spines of parents across the globe. As dull as those things sound, the majority of people accept these things as simply being a part of “growing up”. Much like the well-known tale of Peter Pan, I refuse to grow up. Now I’m not about to run off to Neverland and leave my life behind, as tempting as that sounds! We all go through the process; moving out, employment, paying the bills, the food shop and the wonderful (and neverending task) of housework. Growing is never something to resent or attempt to avoid. God is
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very clear about how he desires us to thrive and mature. In Colossians 2, Paul talks about us being “Firmly rooted, built up and established in faith”. It’s biblical for us to grow up! However, when we grow up, how often do we lose that spark, that excitement? This can relate to our spiritual walk with Jesus too. You fall in love with our Saviour; you run free, you discover His Goodness and mercy, and then you blink. Before you know it, you’ve been a Christian for 40 years. You’ve read the Bible back to front multiple times and you pray all the time. But the spark has gone. The Bible doesn’t jump to life like it used to. Your prayers seem less passionate than at first. The worship song that used to bring you to your knees is simply another song to sing. It’s frustrating, it hurts, and it’s nothing like it used to be. Yes, it is biblical to grow up, but it has never been God’s design for us to lose our wonder. Matthew 18 says, “Truly I tell you, if
