A Child

I was waiting in line at the grocery store an noticed an older lady in front of me with a small girl next to her, the lady looked like the girl's grandma perhaps, and the little girl looked about 5 or 6 years old. As grandma was trying to swipe her debit card and pay for her purchase, the little girl kept putting her hand up wanting to push the buttons on the screen. The grandma calmly and rather absent-mindedly pushed the little girl's hand away each time as she tried to get through the check out process, and the first thing that came to my amused mind was impatience. "Children are so dumb, they want to do everything themselves without any sense that they might mess things up." Then I thought, "that was rude, I used to be exactly like that little brown-haird piggy tailed girl, constantly snatching things or insisting on doing things myself, and my mom was so patient that whenever she was in a position to let me she would!" Then I realized how patient the little girl was actually being, she wouldn't ever actually push anything on the screen, she would hold her finger up and hover and wait in case her grandma would allow it, only to be gently pushed away. She didn't cry or pout or yell, she just tried to do it again, hovering over the screen in case it was her turn to try.  My amusement turned to love for this child, and all children, and I realized that was me now. I am a child, holding up my ideas, can I be smart enough now? and gently being pushed away. My answer, like the unspoken answer to the little girl, seems to be "you're not wise enough or old enough yet, but trust me, one day you will be able to do not only this but much, much more."

"Can I push the button? Can I do important work like you Father? Can I do it myself yet? Can I come home yet?"  Not yet. You have some more growing to do, I know you want to be "all grown up" and you're frustrated being limited in so many ways, remember even though you are a child, you are my child, a divine Child of God, and one day you will know all that I know and do all that I do, if you don't give up.

My brethren, I have found
a land that doth abound
with fruit as sweet as honey;
The more I eat, I find,
The more I am inclined
To shout and sing hosanna.

My soul doth long to go where I may fully know
The glory of my Savior;
And as I pass along I’ll sing the Christian song,
I’m going to live forever.
Perhaps you think me wild,
or simple as a child;
I am a child of glory;
I am born from above,
my soul is filled with love;
I love to tell the story.

My soul now sits and sings
and practices its wings,
and contemplates the hour
When the messenger shall say,
‘Come quit this house of clay,
and with bright angels tower.’

And as I pass along
I’ll sing the Christian song,
I’m going to live forever.
Forever.
                               Pilgrim Song by Ryan Murphy