How to Really Live Like a Child of God

How does one really live like a child of God?  Great concept, but hard to live out in a fast paced world full of adult responsibilities, heartache, and to-do lists.  What would it look like to really go through the day in relationship with the God of the universe? 

My little Nica Chica, Maria, has taught me quite a lot about this.  When we met Maria, she was 4ish and had no memories of family life.  All she knew was life in the orphanage.  What this consisted of was 43 abandoned children coming from all sorts of backgrounds.  The best case scenario was a background in simple poverty.  The worst…unthinkable.  One of Maria’s sweet friends literally had a scar around her neck from the dog chain used to restrain her. 

All that to say, these kids weren’t the best at teaching each other what it meant to be in a healthy, happy family.  And the staff, God bless them, tried their hardest but there were too few of them and they worked in shifts.  It in no way resembled a family. 

When Maria entered our family, she had no idea what that meant and, I guess, assumed it would be like another orphanage, just smaller.  So imagine her delight (and sometimes dismay) when the caregiver (me) didn’t leave…ever.  Not really getting what a mother was, but somehow understanding that I was “hers” and she owned me. 

The power struggles that ensued are for another post, but one of the first beautiful things she began to do was assume I would give her my attention.  And she wanted it…ALL THE TIME.  Whether I was reading, sleeping, using the bathroom; it didn’t matter, I was hers. 

Our time at the pool was the best example of this phenomenon. It didn’t matter how many billion times I had watched her jump in the pool.  It didn’t matter that I clapped and cheered in the past.  She wanted it and expected it every last time and was incredibly hurt and offended if I didn’t want to watch.

Our first visit to Nicaragua to meet Maria

Mira! Mira!

The look of a child who knows she has been watched :)

She would shout “Mira! Mira!” (command form, not polite form!) “Look! Look!” And knowing this little person had missed years of having a mommy look at her, I did watch and cheer and clap.  Over, and over, and over again.  I had an empty heart tank to fill.  

This is where we start with God.  Except he is a much better parent than me.  He doesn’t run out of patience.  He doesn’t need “alone time” to read, sleep or use the bathroom.  He delights in His children and loves to be “owned” by them.  He hears “Mira!” “Look!” and says “I see you."

Some things never change...Spring in Florida 2015

So today, I am challenged to live like a child of God.  Throughout this day, I will approach Him like a child learning to be in His family.  I will ask Him to watch me, protect me, comfort me, encourage me, guide me.  And I won’t just do that once in the morning devotional time.  I will talk to Him as if He is a real person, because, well, He is! What would my day, your day, be like if we really engaged with God and expected Him to engage back? If we expected to hear "Child, I SEE YOU."

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will REJOICE over you with GLADNESS; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with LOUD SINGING." Zephaniah 3:17