“I tell you the truth, anyone who
doesn’t receive the Kingdom
of God
Close your eyes for a minute, I
hope that you are not driving while reading this. Think back to a time and place when you had
no concerns or cares. All that you
wanted to do was just eat, play and sleep. Our only world was the one around us where we did not even know about
paying bills, taxes or buying gas. Our
parents took care of all that and many other grownup things that did not stress
us out. We did not stress out too much
because our priorities were different and we expected the grownups to take care
of problems.
As a little boy, I played
stickball in the street, climb trees, rode roller-skate go-carts and took risks
never thinking of the consequence because a children we weren’t afraid of
anything except the boogeyman. For those
children who were blessed to have a father or grandfather in their lives while
growing up seemed to have that their father or grandfather could do
anything. They were bigger, stronger, and
smarter who gave us just about whatever we wanted. They also got the biggest dinner plate but
that was okay because they had to be strong. They also issued the discipline when mom felt that she could not get
through to us.
As I grew older with
responsibilities, those worries that my parents had came rushing in. I had a job
that I no longer enjoyed. I had bosses that I could not trust and my fears and
doubts began to seep in. I felt overwhelmed
and frustrated. A door was closing and I
could not keep it open. The peculiar
thing about it is that I had prayed for a change. I just wanted it done my way. I forgot my faith in the present while too
busy thinking about my future. I had bill collectors that didn’t care as long
as I paid the bills on time. I had
overcome a lot of obstacles and challenges but believed that God got me through
even though my faith was not as strong as it should have been. As the years passed by, I began to dwell upon
the days of my childhood, searching for the antidote to cure all those fears
that were making me lose my way. My antidote was approaching God with childlike
belief.
When I was
young, I did not need to worry, my parents would take care of my problems. I would bring my problems to them and expect
them to handle it which they did. I had not developed my faith in God at the time but I sure
had faith in my parents. I did believe
in angels because of the pictures I saw with angels standing behind little
children. Also, my mom told me that
everyone had a guardian angel especially children since they are innocent to the
world's demands. The world has a way of leaving scars inside of you if you are not prepared. My memory of angels
revived when they began to show themselves to me in adulthood. I knew they were angels because strangers
walked up to me to tell everything will be alright and God is with you. They were people I never met and never saw
again. It was at those moments that
begin to lead me back to dependence in God.
My faith is growing stronger day
by day but it is not easy. My faith knows
that God is always beside me and is always concerned about my well-being. As I begin to let go and lean on God, I am
becoming the man God wants me to be. I still have those days those worries try
to overtake me -yet I refuse to be defeated. The pressures of this world want
us to take our focus off of God. He is
my fortress and I will walk anywhere He leads, knowing God will never leave me.
So, the next time you feel
yourself caught up in the fear of this world, close your eyes tightly for a
moment and picture that child who walked without looking over their shoulders;
the person you were before the world took it’s toll on you.
Today I pray that as you approach
those trees in your life that remain unclimbed, you will grab onto a branch and
go to new heights. I pray that God will never let you fall. And most
of all, I pray, that as you are transformed through His will, you will have
“the light of the world” right beside you every step of the way.
