June Week 1 — Mission Cleveland Parish

Virtue: Intentionality
Resolution: I choose to be mindful and responsive to God’s presence and the needs of others.

Human Story: Walden & Rowan Tommey

This is a story about children, my children specifically, but more deeply of all children and how they so effortlessly connect to the nature of our Father with joyful intent.

Both of my boys entered this world wide-eyed and keenly aware of their foreign surroundings, whereas I wanted to just close my eyes and rest. They were too engrossed in the visual and audible stimulations of a new reality to relinquish their recent discoveries. These commencement experiences have uncovered a spiritual truth for our family: where I am eager to shut out or even remove myself from the earthy, guttural challenges of life, children are intent upon plunging face first into these mysteries without shame. This is a gift from God, a reminder that to experience the fullness of our Creator we must slow down, look past the mess, and sit in the discomfort. We must be intent upon embracing joy. And in so doing, we become like children – the type Jesus counter-intuitively described in Luke 18:16-17: “Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”

Walden, our ardent adventurer, doesn’t hesitate to take every opportunity given to dig in the dirt, hoping to expose juicy earthworms or fascinating rocks. As far as rocks go, gravel of any variety will suffice and is still seen as a rare and exciting treasure. In the eyes of a child, dandelions can make the most beautiful bouquets and animals are worthy of intrigue and affection. One summer evening, Walden said confidently that he was talking to the cicadas. As I took a moment to listen to the deafening insects and the awful noise he was making, I discovered that he was very much in harmony with them! My heart was filled with joy and humility to witness his connection with creation and ultimately our Creator. The earth constantly and emphatically declares the glory of the Lord. When we quiet ourselves and acknowledge His presence, we can return to our childlike hearts and joyfully participate in the glorious racket.

Rowan, our miniature musician, is only in the throes of infancy, facing sheer awe and wonderment at every turn. He is entertained simply by his own physical design, be it the movement of his fingers one at a time or simultaneously or the feeling of his tongue in his mouth as he rolls and twists it in every way possible. Sounds, whether of his own conjuring or from some external source such as dad’s guitar, are meant to be explored. In an effort to communicate, he might growl, grumble or even shriek. Inevitably, those laryngeal vibrations gain momentum as he moves through different scales and pitches, determining how they feel in his throat. He is enraptured by sound. Strumming an instrument while lacking rhythm, banging on piano keys, and slobbering all over a harmonica yet producing no sound is the joyful way of a child. There is an eagerness to explore, to participate, to respond. He is intent upon using all of his senses to absorb mounds of information and relish in the bliss of it all.

The point of this “human story” is not to highlight my children as exemplars of this month’s virtue - intentionality, but rather to draw our attention back to the beauty, purity, and imago dei of the little ones around us – who with their whole heart long to feel, know, and experience more of God and his creation.

Lesson: Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Although children can be annoying, frustrating, and challenging at times, they have qualities that are clearly valuable to Jesus and the building of His Kingdom. Children exhibit qualities such as trust, vulnerability, wonder, etc. They can’t “do” much for themselves, being heavily dependent upon caregivers to provide for, nurture, protect, and guide them along a good path. Jesus states in verse 4 that children also exhibit humility. Children, unlike adults, have no real reason to compete with one another for status, position, and fame. Instead, they choose to collaborate with other playmates in creating skits, digging in the mud, swimming in the creek, and imagining wild adventures –pure simplicity.

Even though the disciples had been following Jesus for some time in this passage, they still succumbed to the bondage of comparison amongst one another. Instead of fixing their eyes on what is above and on whom is standing before them (Jesus), they chose to look side to side at one another to find their worth and value by being “better” and “outdoing” them.

Unfortunately, isn’t this what we do so often? We get so obsessed with prestige that we resist living with others in mind, causing hurt and destruction to further our own gain instead of living in harmony with others. May we take Jesus at his Word and look to the children in our lives to learn how to be Kingdom-minded, Kingdom-centered, and Kingdom-focused, cultivating lives of simplicity and genuine humility. Our lives depend on it, for Jesus says if we don’t become like children, we “will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Remembrance

You see, Jesus’ friends had started thinking they had to do something to make themselves special to Jesus - that if they were the cleverest or the nicest or something, Jesus would like them best. But they had forgotten something. Something God had been teaching his people all through the years: that no matter how clever you are, or how good you are, or how rich you are, or how nice you are, or how important you are - none of it makes any difference. Because God’s love is a gift and, as anyone will tell you, the whole thing about a gift is, it’s free. All you have to do is reach out your hands and take it.

-Sally Lloyd-Jones (in The Jesus Storybook Bible on Matthew 18, p.256-257)

Challenge

Take some time this week to observe a child playing. Study their movements and notice the focus and devotion given to the task at hand.

Reflection

Think of all the distractions you have in your life, the things that keep you from focusing on the task at hand. Name all of these distractions to someone else and brainstorm ways to limit these in your life to increase intentionality. How can you invite others to join in the activities of your life? How can you join the activities of the lives of those close to you to promote their wellbeing?

Further Growth

Virtue: IntentionalityResolution: I choose to be mindful and responsive to God’s presence and the needs of others.