Fighting the enemy..

 

 If you want to stay young, have a baby in your forties. If I did not have this little fireball, I would be sitting on the couch likely way too often. 2nd is this. A priest in my life, who has passed on, but heavily influenced my thinking, once said “Let the little ones teach you.“ He also told me every encounter with my family, was an encounter with God. He meant (by little ones) not only the poor and humble people you encounter, but children as well. And while my children will tell you I am not perfect at this, I try to listen to them. 

Today as we played on the trampoline together waiting to pick up siblings, he said “Mommy we are going to play a game called ‘fight the gummies’” Though he tried to explain the rules several times, what was clear to me was, I was not allowed to stand still. So I thought, ok, as long as I am moving I can fake it. But no, this too, was not enough. He said “mom you have to FIGHT the gummies!” I said “but I am just going to run away from them?!” And he said “No, mom. You can’t just run away. You have to fight them.” 

And, being a person that believes everything happens for a reason, that God wants to teach us something at every opportunity, even in the littlest simple things, I thought, isn’t that what many of us need to hear right now? I know I do. 

You can’t just run away from the enemy, you have to fight. Not with your own strength. That will get you no where, but with the strength that comes from Almighty God. 

Speak the truth boldly. Live the gospel loudly. Fight the enemy even when you want to run. 

That’s the message God spoke to me through my 4 yr. old today. 

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.“

 

Matthew 18:3-6