Matthew, Free and Three

In my new year’s resolutions the last few postings, I have talked about being true to who I am in this coming year. For me a child is the best model of how to be true to self. Whenever I have been in the world, Venezuela, India, Guatemala, I find myself relating best to the children present. Children say what they think and have great imagination.

The most recent example was our Christmas trip out east to visit my wife’s family. One of my wife’s nephews had two children that over the years I had a lot a fun with. Now they are grown and are teenagers. Still great kids but different. Her other nephew married late and now has a three year old, Matthew. This was one of the first times that we had time to spend together and quickly became friends. Although our relationship was based on silliness it still was uplifting for me.

In fact, I think three-year-olds are the best age for an adult like me to relate to a child. I used to ask three-year-olds how they are. When they would say ‘three’ I would say I am ‘free.’ Not distinguishing between three and free they would come back saying: “No you are not.” I did not try this with Matthew since it is becoming a little old and worn out for me, but as soon as he came in the room we knew we were friends.

I am not saying they way of relating to children is unique for me. I see many an elder who can relate to a young child. I think it is more about being non-judgmental and not worrying what the other persons think about us. Being judgmental and worrying what others think are taught habits that many children do not have yet.

When Jesus said “Be like a child” I believe the qualities of innocence, honesty, non-judgmental and not worrying what others think is what he was talking about.

The older I get the easier I find it is to be child like whenever I have the courage to do so. In my last job as a youth minister I was with some teenagers on a service trip to Appalachia. One time when the teens were talking about what they want to be when they grew up I found myself saying that I wanted to be “three”. The New Year is another chance to be free and three.

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