Day 127 Free to Be

 

5/8/2026

"Verily I say unto you, except you be converted,

and become as little children, ye shall not

enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:3

 

Jesus loves children, and they loved to hang around Him, listening to every word He said as if He was speaking directly to them in a language only they understood. I love the way Dallas Jenkins portrayed this image in his first season of The Chosen. Abby and her young friend Joshua were the first to discover Jesus as He camped outside the city in the woods near the lake where the children loved to play. They were so captivated by this friendly man who was fun to be around that they brought several friends with them the next morning. They spent the days with Him doing tasks, while Jesus worked with them and taught them valuable lessons and skills. I can imagine that this actually did happen, because Jesus always had time for curious children. He made time for curious adults as well! He still does.

As Mother's Day approaches, I remember my mama and my grandmother and their influence on my life. I usually find a place to hide out on Mother's Day, because I miss my mama and grandmother, and they  missed my family so much when we moved to New Mexico in 1987. The feeling was reciprocal, as I spent as much time as I could with each of them, and they were actively involved in my children's lives. It seems odd to me to be living in my parents' home now, surrounded by their things, without them being here. I dare say that they'd be a bit squeamish about our world these days, but I pray that they'd be happy about the person I have turned out to be in spite of many years of constant turmoil. Choosing to keep on and never giving up may speak to their hearts, as they faced multiple challenges each day, and they kept running the race. Every time I hear one of their favorite hymns I stop to sing along. Tomorrow we remember our mothers, and there have been many tributes to mothers, with many to follow tomorrow. We should always remember the good things in our lives, even if unexpected events happen to redirect our path. Without those how else would we grow, especially in relationship with our Father.

My day began with a phone call from my doctor's office telling me that my insurance denied payment for my last visit, because I still have an open medical claim for a permanent partial disability on a workman's comp case from 2016. Occasionally this unfortunate incident rears its ugly head, and I have to go through the hoops answering absurd questions from a case that was closed in December of 2018. So I had to make the usual calls just so my follow up visit to my PCP can be covered. It seems as if there are many such distractions that attempt to keep me from what I need to do. I always try to play by the rules, and I find it irritating when others make things complicated when they don't need to be. Thankfully, it did not ruin my day, although I admit that I did have a few uneasy moments. So now I breathe, and I wait.

Later in the evening after enjoying Shabbat services and waiting for the next, I had another twist and turn, but again, I chose to focus my eyes on resting. I was reminded of a word from the Lord I received one day while living in New Mexico during the early days of our moving there. The Lord told me that satan wanted to sift me like wheat. At the time it seemed a crazy thing, as I was nothing special, no threat to him, and yet the years have brought many insights of how God can use broken vessels to accomplish His work on this earth. I guess I've just been too broken to be able to see the fruit of my labor, but I sure hope there is some. It would be terrible to go through life without really producing fruit for God's kingdom. 

I've been reading the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, and the question for today was "Are you in the mood for a challenge today?' They also gave a statement to consider: "When everything is coming your way, Look out! You're probably in the wrong lane.'" Matthew 5:16 exhorts us: "Let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father." Whatever we are told or taught to do in this life, we are told to do for Jesus. If we are not making positive change in the lives of others, we definitely need to check our motives to ensure that we do what God has called us to do. 

I began my thoughts today with God saying that unless we become like little children, then we cannot have a place in His kingdom. It sounds harsh and a little contradictory, especially when we are told to grow in Christ, study His word and become more like Jesus in thought and deed. But entering the kingdom as a child would be entering in simple faith and obedience.  Children view life so simply and non-judgmentally, unless people try to indoctrinate them in things their childish minds should not even consider. Children are accepting, and they love and trust easily. Doesn't sound like our world today at all. And I imagine that even in Jesus' time on earth, they had to be careful. It's hard to think about Israel as a holy nation having evil, but as long as the world has been in existence, evil has existed. One day we will have a place where evil does not exist, a place where love abides, where we are free to be who God designed us to be. It is too much for my finite mind to consider. One day! A perfect day.