A very pleasant woman at the state park toll booth yesterday peered into my driver’s window and greeted me as though I were her next door neighbor. We chatted briefly about the hot weather but that the woods would be cooler and the summit refreshing, and that taking a summer hike was better than sitting at home in heat wave quarantine. “That will be four dollars…unless, of course, you are a senior citizen and then there is no charge,” she said. And when I acknowledged that I indeed qualified, she said, “My, well you certainly don’t look it!” Made my day.
Or so I thought. As I adjusted my backpack and gulped some water, I sensed this relatively short but steep jaunt up the mountain was to be more than just a nice hike. I had been reminded over the past 24 hours of how countless men and women through the ages have sensed the presence of God by walking through His creation. Sometimes, sensing in very unusual ways. It’s always evident, but not always noticed and often taken for granted, and so I was on a mission to enjoy the day and to be aware that I was not alone. And for some inspiration before launching out, I decided to check my bible app for the verse of the day…
”Some people brought their little children to Jesus so He could touch them, but His followers told them to stop. When Jesus saw this, He was upset and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it.'”
—Mark 10:13-15, NCV
Huh. What I remembered most about that passage was that it was one of the few instances where Jesus got really angry with His disciples. The NIV even says He was “indignant.” What's with that? More than just an incident involving little kids, it would seem Jesus was and is serious about how we look at living life in His kingdom—and that it is not as adulting as we would like to think.
It all seemed rather random out here in the middle of the woods. Still, I figured there was something to be gleaned from the passage as I headed up the trail. There was a nice breeze and the sound of a few birds singing in the distance, but other than the sound of my feet negotiating rocks and roots, all was very quiet and peaceful. But then, a strange sound in the distance. It sounded like a two-way radio but with laughter. A park ranger, perhaps? And then suddenly, around a bend in the trail, a young boy about 12 all by himself (his parents, I learned, were not far behind) came bounding to a stop. He had some sort of a walkie-talkie where he was communicating with the leader. He looked fearless and wide-eyed. And he just stood there, hands on hips, smiling, waiting for me to go by.
And there it was! That easily forgotten picture of what it’s supposed to look like walking with Jesus every day in His kingdom here on earth….“The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.”—Matthew 18:4, NCV
But as I too quickly forget, to be child-like humble on this journey does not mean to be childish or weak or soft. Here, right in front of me on the trail, was Jesus’ serious reminder of what continually being child-like before Him really looks like:
- Having a kids’ untarnished heart to always learn and explore in wonder the things of God, leaving worldly cynicism and worry at the door
- Remembering to love life and people simply because we know and love the One who made it and them all
- Bounding along the journey in boldness and joy, even if there are a few sprained ankles along the way, because our Leader always knows the way and has got us in His grip
- Trusting, feeling safe, always feeling welcome in the Father’s presence simply because “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
- Having that kid’s walkie-talkie lifestyle—always talking and listening to the Leader for guidance
- Always looking Up in honor and admiration—the Mentor of all mentors
- Remembering to smile and laugh…often
I soon arrived at the summit, drenched in sweat but fully energized. Having encountered that verse and that boy and his walkie-talkie along the way had me bounding like a kid from rock to rock to take in the panoramic vistas and feel the refreshing breeze.
I had thought that pleasant woman’s comment at the base parking lot would be my highlight of the day, but this was much better—a reminder to my adulting self to “carry this moment with you, and carry it often, because it’s easy to forget that this is what walking with Jesus in His Kingdom here on earth is supposed to look like.”
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