I've had ample opportunity to practice Welcoming Prayer. A few months ago, I sinned against a friend, unintentionally hurting her. As sin often does, it propagated. Losing her friendship wasn’t the worst of it. Unfortunately, the ripples spread to our children.
I was raised by a single mom with meager means. During my childhood, my mom experienced several layoffs. For over ten years it was just her, me, and my five-year younger sister. I don’t recall my mom ever making a big deal about our limited means, but I was aware.
Simplicity seems simple, in fact, even childlike. Most children are content to play with boxes rather than complex toys. But if simplicity is simple, why is it that for most of us it is something we have to live into far along on our journey into Christlikeness? I don’t know about you, but I spent a large portion of my childhood excited to become an adult. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly enjoyed being a kid and played hard, but I also longed to be mature. And now that I’m in my mid-40s and technically considered middle aged, I’m finding the scriptures ringing true—Jesus calls us to come full circle and like a child once again.
