I have no idea what time it was last night when we stumbled into the Hyatt in Memphis, Tennessee. I think we gained an hour or maybe we lost an hour, maybe its Tuesday? I have NO IDEA, I lost ALL track of time two weeks ago – it could be 7 pm right now for all I know (except for the sun being up!).
Needless to say, it was while I was in this state of mind I woke up and began thinking about the power of regeneration. I started thinking about how in a healthy human body, the human body will replace its red blood cells 2 million every second, how our skin cells constantly reproduce, how our minds need constant challenging, and how our need as a human race is to continue reinventing itself. It would appear (upon deep thought) that if we “aren’t growing, we’re dying”.
HOW?
So how do I do it all? It is a question I get asked often along with, how do I raise six kids, how do I home school, how do I take care of myself and maintain my sanity? How do I have enough energy to do everything I do?
The answer is simple: our kids keep us young our kids keep us learning and reinventing ourselves.
It is said children are “sponges”, and if you think about it – so are we when we are with them! Children are constantly asking questions we don’t know the answers to, they are constantly prodding us to try new experiences, they have no fear, and they do EVERYTHING wholeheartedly. It does not surprise me Jesus of Nazareth said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 18:3
WHAT IF HEAVEN WAS ATTAINABLE TODAY?
What if, the “heaven” Jesus is talking about in this sentence ISN’T a virtual heaven? What if the kingdom of heaven was something we could become a part of right here, and right now? Wouldn’t that be heavenly?
While I know you didn’t sign up for a “Christian Blog” when you logged in this morning, I would like to reassure you, I am not a “Christian”. I am a student of the Bible and happen to believe what it says. This concept of “youth, vitality, and a long life – a life eternal” is what I study, and that also happens to coincide with a belief in Jesus Christ.
The Bible was originally written in a combination of languages, on scrolls, on tablets, and on anything else that could hold words! Mans desire to impute the words of God directly from Him to the generations to come as a manuscript to live by, has driven us closer to God and the way He works. This is how we have documented the words of Christ, and this is how I KNOW Jesus wants us to live a life of heaven on this earth. Because He said so!
GET HIM (me) TO THE GREEK
In today’s case “Get him to the Greek” isn’t a cheeky movie with Russell Brandt, it is the original language the words of Jesus were written down in. While it is documented that Jesus often talked of eternal life, he more often talked about a thing called “Ouranos”, a state in which things are perfect – a state in which GOD DWELLS and everything has its perfect order. In English we translate this word as “heaven”.
You have often heard people refer to yummy ice cream as being “heavenly”, or when they have slept a good night sleep as being “heavenly”. When you use the word “heavenly” in a statement like this, you are more right on than you know! Contrary to some religious beliefs… YOU CAN HAVE A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE HERE ON EARTH… you can dwell where God dwells and be in alignment with the Lord and His perfect order of things. Even Jesus said so…
“Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN.” Matt. 6:10
So there you have it. In this most famous stanza of “the Lord’s prayer” Jesus is speaking of the same heaven he spoke of in regards to us changing and becoming like little children. It is a heaven, which we CAN experience here on earth. We absolutely can be inline with God and His purpose for our lives, and we can absolutely know and feel and be where God dwells NOW. That’s why Jesus came! Jesus is not talking about “aionios zoe” (eternal life) in this prayer to His Father – He is talking about the same heaven he spoke of which we will NOT be able to enter into, unless we enter as little children.
I TOLD YOU THINGS GOT DEEP!
Maybe it’s because it is Sunday, because I woke up in the Bible belt, or maybe my depth of spiritual insight is from a lack of sleep? For whatever reason, I woke up meditating on how the key to living a long life, to success, to the future, to our growth in humanity, is a CONSTANT reinventing and regenerating of ourselves, to live life as little children.
When people ask me how I stay young? I simply respond, “It is because I am around so much youth!”
This morning I was so surprised to reread Matthew 18 & Matthew 6 in this new light, in the that it is as sponges it is as children we enter into heaven – we enter into a successful state of mind!
When we operate on this earth with a certain inquisitive nature, a faith filled no holds barred wholehearted gregariousness, a wide eyed enthusiastic spirit we enter into a “kingdom of heaven” a heaven that has no boundaries that isn’t reserved for just the afterlife but is available here on earth for us NOW. On earth as it is in heaven.
BE FREE
So, BE FREE. Be free to be childlike, be free to live a heavenly life by constantly improving yourself and experiencing new things, be free to enjoy your surroundings and go exploring, be free to question why you do what you do, be free to release yourself from the trappings that make you too “ADULT”, be free to sit and learn at the feet of those who have come before you. Read books, watch documentaries, and by all means get out your front door!
It’s what we do; it’s how we stay “young”.
One of the things we did while we were out and about exploring the country was drive to New Orleans, Louisiana and eat beignets and pet the carriage horses.
Our little Teddy Bear this morning as we woke up in Tennessee, a state I have never been to with a Church on every corner and flourishing with abundant green trees.
I don’t know what it will be like saying “goodbye” to our last child as he will one day move out. Today all six still live with us, and I am counting my blessings. I will have to continue to grow and learn – the greatest lesson I have so far is to have an example of childhood I am finding in them! I learn more from them, then they probably have from me! 🙂
thehappylittlecamperco 