Purple Prose + Review

"What is Love?" Bible Study
Week 10
The Mind of a Child
Verse for the week:
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
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I'm going to apologize in advance for how short this week's post is. It's not as long as the others, but I think it holds some really good information. Maybe God knew you didn't have a lot of time to read this week :)
If you are around kids any lengthof time, you know that they have their own way of thinking.
My oldest daughter is six and she has lots (and LOTS) of questions about God. Some are harder than others, and I answer them the best I can.
Children have a very special way of behaving-- acting-- thinking-- and understanding.
They also have a special kind of mischief and immaturity (they ARE kids after all... )
Which is ok to have--- when you are a child. But as we get older, we need to mature and become more responsible.
The trick is to become more responsible while never loosing our child-like faith in God.
When we are kids-- we understand very little about life. We believe in things like magic. The unseen is either scary or magical. When we are teens, we think we know more than we do.
As adults, we *know* we know it all... and that is our downfall. We are adults... we got our diploma... we got our ID... we turned 21... whichever. We are adults... and we.know.all.
Oh... how we are so wrong.
What does this have to do with with love?
Lots actually.
Think about new love-- a new relationship-- a new baby-- newly saved, etc.
When love is new, it is like a child. Wide-eyed. Exciting. Immature.
Notebook Question: In what other ways is new love like a child?
Then the love grows. It becomes more mature, grows into adulthood.
Unfortunately, sometimes that can be a bad thing. We lose the child-like spark we had when love was new. There is something called the "Seven Year Itch" where (as the saying goes) marriages hit a snag. You've lived with your spouse so long you could finish their sentences (and not in a good way). You've seen them at their best (probably your wedding day) and at their worst (labor, anyone??). The love isn't new and exciting any more. It's drab and old and losing it's spark. It's mature.
Sometimes I think love- or more honest love-- is possessed by kids.
Kids can be good at lying, or at least telling half truths. But they rarely, if ever, miss an opportunity to give a hug or a kiss.
They don't edit their love.
In some respects, we need to be more like a child when it comes to our love.
When a child sees a sad person, most of the time, they comfort them. They are happy when you are happy and sad when you are sad.
Of course, that doesn't apply to all children. But it does for the majority. Kids as a whole are more empathic than adults.
When was the last time you stopped to help a crying person, or comfort an upset stranger--- or even smiled at someone you don't know? (My 15 month old has never met a stranger... )
I'm not saying you have to be unsafe, but you/we can show a child-like faith and love to others if we are open and see the opportunities.
Notebook Question: What opportunities have you seen where you could have/did show child-like love?
One day our minds will mature (yes I said, "One Day". I still have some child-like qualities... and not all of them good) and our love, our thoughts, and our reasoning will grow with us.
But lets not forget to embrace our child-like love for others... no matter how old we get. Lets never meet a stranger or hold back our smiles.
Verses for Week 11
Tuesday~ Ecc. 11:5
Wednesday~Psalm 139:13-16
Thursday~ 1 John 3:5
Friday~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
Saturday~ 1 Corinthians 13:12
Much love... and have a great week (please excuse the t ypos... )
Kelly