At what age do we deem ourselves grown? In the States, the law says eighteen. In some cultures it is even earlier. I am nearing twenty-eight and I do not feel any more grown than I did when I was eighteen. Sure, I carry a bit more experience than before, but there are many areas in my life that I feel like a child playing house. 

When I stand before the peering eyes of the world I am overwhelmed with the pressure of expectations. Expectations to excel in all I do, because, well, I am no longer a child, am I? I cannot blame the lack of years behind me for my short comings, and I have had some time to work towards my goals. Yet, here I sit, feeling no more grown than my soon to be four-year-old. 

But, when did we decide that the mind of a child is an ill comparison? There are many that talk down on children. “They annoy me,” they’ll say. “They’re disgusting, foolish, loud, and overwhelming.” 

During the days that I watch my youngest try to eat whatever he’s found in the backyard, I would be inclined to agree. Perhaps I feel a bit of annoyance when my eldest refuses to eat a requested meal, merely because the sauce touched her finger. However, if there is one lesson that keeps reappearing to me these last few days, it’s perspective. Did you know that carrying a negative perspective is a choice? Neither did I. Or at least, I had never realized it until my daughter told me these three words, “I love people.”

It had caught me off guard because our culture is so anti-people. It’s not a phrase I am used to hearing, nor is it a phrase I am used to thinking. Yet it is something that keeps coming back to my mind. Personally, people intimidate me. They make me nervous, talking causes me to stutter. I get easily frustrated when someone isn’t listening, and annoyed when someone’s words are not what I am wanting to hear at the time. In this, I know I am not alone. As I mentioned, it is not a phrase frequently used in our culture. We get annoyed at drivers, at avoidable mistakes, ignorance, rude behavior; the list could go on. I am certain that the saying, “common sense is not so common,” is heard more than “I love people.” 

It’s been a few days now since I started chewing on these words of hers. We do not know what our neighbor is going through. What they choose to share may only be the surface wound visible to outsiders. We don’t know if those avoidable mistakes are brought on by a troubled mind. We also seem to think that an adult should know everything about everything. When ignorance is shown, it is treated as if they are daft or weaker than ourselves. We have all done it, all thought it at times. But, knowledge is relevant. Patience is kindness. Lesson’s can be taught, and lesson’s can be learned. 

I wonder what God thinks when he looks at how we treat each other. How his very own children can be the harshest critics of them all. We close our ears to children. Our first mistake. We shove them aside, too tired, too annoyed to take the time to listen. We have our responsibilities that call us, we have peers to please, jobs to work, we don’t have time for ignorance. We are grown, are we not? 

Matthew 18:2-4 NIV: He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 

A negative perspective takes effort to change. It is easier to validate your discomfort with negativity. We talk about changing the world, making a difference in someone’s life. But, how can a tongue speak of such things and in the same breath reveal such hatred? Our differences and personal experiences should not define our isolation. There are many things we can learn from our children if only we take the time to listen. To live with a child-like mindset seems impossible as the years go on. It seems foolish. However, imagine all you could accomplish if only you combined the openness of a child’s mind with the experience of years gone by. To unmask the veil of gray hues would mean a world of new colors. A change with momentary discomfort in exchange for being free from bondage. 

There are ways to reveal frustrations without condemnation. There are ways to disagree without allowing yourself to be consumed by pride. To love people is to be willing to learn, willing to teach, willing to listen, and willing change. To be willing is to be prepared, and to be prepared is to be made ready for use. Some of us believe that we are not capable of loving, we have lost hope or lack the desire to even try. 

But, when we choose to dwell in our negativity we limit ourselves. Our minds become stagnant, learning becomes subjective. We only grasp what falls in line with our beliefs or opinions. How can you expect to teach if you, yourself, are not ready to learn? Each life on this earth has something to give. Whether it be a stay at home mother teaching her baby how to walk, or a business leader teaching their employee’s how to manage a company. They all play a part in this world, none of more value than the other. 

So, as I challenge myself, I challenge you as well. To see the world from the perspective of a child. To never stop learning, never stop growing, never stop living. To love people just as God loves you.