Food, Wheat and Pumpkins, Or Not

I had the best of intentions for today. I have the high school girls on Tuesday nights and so my house got cleaned before they showed up. That made it perfect for tonight when the women’s committee will meet here. I have some snacks but I planned to hunt for more. We can’t have people going hungry, right?

Also, one of my main interests for the day was pumpkins and wheat. I, apparently, found it vital to acquire wheat for some of my fall florals. It was a must for today. The pumpkins are down at the youth’s pumpkin patch. If you go during the day, there are no children. I can shop and chat with someone from my church, uninterrupted. It sounded like a splendid plan.

Food, wheat, pumpkins…and then I sat down for my quiet time.

I am not so sold on food, wheat and pumpkins, now. In fact, I had a really challenging time with Him this morning. He was not interested in pumpkins, food or wheat. He was not interested in my take on His word. He was not interested in what I wanted to talk about.

He had me write. He had me talk. He had me listen. I found something in Matthew 18 that had been waiting for this day. You know those moments when God reveals something and examples from your life flash before your eyes? It was that.

Matthew 18:3 & 4, NRSV, “…and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

Most of the time that I hear about this, it is centered on becoming like a child. Most people envision carefree playing or being infantile, simple. There is a focusing statement that follows in verse 4. Become humble like a child.

Some words come to my mind when I think of the humility of a child.

I think of malleability. Children are not fully formed, so they defer authority to an adult. God assures us that we will be disciplined (I am familiar with this). He assures us that He is our Father and can be trusted in this role. Humility is conceding to God because we are the created. Do I defer, thankfully, to His authority?

Children are learners. They do not assume that they know everything until they turn 13, so having humility allows us to rest in the process of sanctification. We understand that we are a process and we will get spiritually bigger and better. Children expect change, from their minds to their bodies. They relish this change. Do I?

Adults are prideful. We have a whole life to defend, and defend it I have. It has been less than flattering on many occasions. Taking authority back and celebrating my arrival to sanctification have occupied, now laughable and irretrievable, moments of my life. It is too bad that I had to have an audience for some of my finer diatribes. That just means that I have a witness, or many.

Oh my stars, what a mess I have made of some things.

Although, I have been searched out and made uncomfortable in confessions that have been spoken this morning, I feel closer to the heart of God. I trust my Father to discipline me, and I have learned and been changed by it.

At the end of all of the muck that has been waded through, I know that I belong to Him. I am His child.

May you rest in being God’s child, today.

Have you ever had an audience for your prideful moments? Let me know if there is an area that I can pray with you. We all have them!