Child-like Faith
The other day, I was walking along this beautiful path. I could not focus on anything besides how beautiful the trees were! It is my first fall in New England, and I am amazed! When I first got here, people laughed at me because I could not get over how green everything was. Now they laugh because I cannot get over how beautiful the colors are! They don't think that it is ridiculous that I think it is pretty, they just think it's funny how affected I am by it. Of course, these people were raised in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island... so of course they are used to it. It wasn't until recently that I found the desert pretty, but it really is! :) I feel like a little kid, not knowing what to expect, because everyday the trees look more beautiful... but I know that they will die soon, so I never know what the next 
day is going to look like.Anyways... here is my point. I began to think about new believers. They are so full of excitement to reach everyone they know that does not know the Lord. I love watching the excitement of a new Christian. It is so encouraging. They seem like little kids with no obstacles. What makes that excitement for our Lord fade away? Isn't our God amazing enough to stay excited about? It makes me feel like the tree. God sees the beauty of our lives and our excitement... but does he wait for the day that it will die? I am not saying that all Christians loose their passion for Christ. Many of them still have that passion, and are probably much more mature, but what about that child-like excitement? Is it really the same? I think so many Christians loose this because they become discouraged by failure, the politics of the church, and simply familiarity.
My encouragement to you is not to become familiar. First of all, appreciate this amazing beauty that God has given us, whether it is the sun, desert, snow, or tress--whether it is new to you or very old. Second and most importantly, do not become familiar in your walk with Christ. If you start to feel comfortable, it is time to take the next step. God did not put us here to live an easy life! Live a life of excitement! Attract nonbelievers by your maturity and your excitement. Find out new things about our Lord; remember the old things that made you fall in love with Him. And third, I love New England! Why is everyone leaving?? :( I know, I know, I haven't had my first winter yet... but it is so beautiful! :)
Labels: beauty, excitement, New England
posted by Lauren @ 8:04 PM
3 Comments:
At 9:55 PM,
Edward Cross said…
Lauren,
That is funny how they laugh at your excitement! I agree, though; those pictures are amazing! I would like to enjoy a "real" Fall at least once in my life.
As a relatively new believer, there have been times when I have heard people express how the excitement of younger Christians is encouraging, but then left to wonder if enthusiasm regarding the divine is something that fades away after you become a “mature” follower of Christ. Granted, I have heard this from people I would describe as "still excited," but the remarks of some seemed to be accompanied by a trace of nostalgia. According to my understanding, the word mature could almost have been defined as knowledgable, yet bored. Of course, this definition is derived from my exposure to people and their attitudes rather than God and His Word. However, a thought has arisen from this: As I grow and development as a child of God, I do not want to lose the child-like excitement I have been experiencing over the last year!
Vermon spoke this morning partly about how we have started to become familiar with who God is and what He is passionate about. He said we are accustomed with seeing merely pieces of God’ portrait, which has resulted in the loss of the awe-inspiring effect experienced when presented with His whole image. He went on to explain that the only way we can live a life that is both consistently sound and stimulating is to constantly be in God’s presence. This helps us approach the world from a Godly perspective, which in turn fuels obedience to Him and the desire for radical change. He advised us that if we want to be reminded of what God is all about, to simply look to the Cross—to see the awesome and glorious in the awfulness of Jesus’ crucifixion.
It reminded me of one of your mom’s recent emails that discussed representative and meditative thinking. Included was this quote:
“Thoughtlessness is an uncanny visitor who comes and goes everywhere in today’s world. For nowadays we take in everything in the quickest and cheapest way, only to forget it just as quickly, instantly man today is in a flight from thinking…”
Is this not astonishing? How often do we hear and talk about Christ’s sacrifice without remembering how truly remarkable it was! It is becoming increasingly clearer that if I want to retain my passion for seeking God and His ways, I need to continue to dwell in Christ and abstain from those things detached from Him—all while meditating on how incredible His sacrifice was. So please, be praying that I learn to understand and apply what I have discovered more and more as each day passes!
Thank you for this post and the role it is playing in the deepening of my appreciation of our Savior, Mr. Jesus Cristo!
I love you, Lauren! :)
At 7:47 PM,
Roxana Elvir Rogers said…
Your writing is becoming very creative. Your pictures are beautiful. I can feel the cool breeze on my cheeks.
Its amazing to me to think about how the change in the colors of the trees are very much representative of our walk in Christ as well.
At times we are alive and vibrant and in touch with what God is doing in our lives.
Then our leaves fall to the ground and then comes the barren cycles of our lives where we might feel so dead, so apart from God.
But we forget that those leaves fell and seeds went into the ground,it waited out the cold winter and the Lord births new fruit in the Spring.
What we forget is that during those dry times, those times we feel so dead. Is that we aren't. That God is still with us, He is excited because he sees what is coming in the future.
One thing that has always fascinated me about you Lauren is your excitement about life. You never take things for granted. I am excited about your excitement for the cold winter to come, but Arizona is burning a little less bright without you.
Love You
Mom
At 10:29 PM,
Dennis Rogers said…
Well, Lauren, it is hard to add anything to what you said. You said it so well. It truly is amazing to see the variety God put on this planet for us. Remember what we saw in Alaska?
The amazing thing to me is when we look at New England in the Fall, an AZ sunset, Alaska, India, Africa, with all this incredible variety and creativity and consider what we have to look forward to. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the imagination of man, what God has prepared for us". Wow!!!!!!
I am often amazed that people fall into boring routine patterns in their lives. I love to think of my life as a roller coaster ride in the dark: really exciting and I have no idea what's around the corner. What's God bringing next?
It has been over 30 years now, since I accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior. There have been some times when I have allowed my relationship with Him to grow stale and I have taken it for granted. For the most part though, it has been totally exciting and new every morning. I sit down and read His Word in the morning and it just fills my life with meaning.
BTW, your writing is getting really good. I think your gift is starting to really come through. You are amazing and I love you with all my heart.
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