He climbs up on his Captain’s bed, stands tall and grabs onto little wooden sailboats floating from the ceiling. “Look, Mom, I getting this big! Now I can get the boats, Mom!”
He knows he’s the little one around here, and three’s as good an age as any to aspire to greatness.
I remember when I couldn’t wait to get bigger. Do you? I wanted to do everything all by my big self and keep up with my big sister and cousins. I dreamed of arriving, and there’s nothing wrong with looking forward.
But today he applauds his growth, and I cheer him on. You grow up thinking growth looks like climbing, increasing, spreading influence. You come up hoping to make something of your one little life.
Yet Jesus came in the quiet, small and helpless. He waited out childhood and grew through awkward years and lived three decades of limitations.
I think of how Infinite made himself finite, to live His Father’s plan. He became a man of flesh to reveal God’s glory and His coming redemption–to reveal it to all of creation.
But people cared more about climbing. People have always cared more to achieve greatness, to accomplish, to make a name for ourselves.
Jesus’ disciples asked Him, Which way to greatness? He rattled our concept of greatness with His answer.
Be like a little child.
Humble yourself.
Serve.
Set aside your own needs, and become a slave to the needs of others.
Forgive every wrong done toward you.
Go last.
Give your life.
Every day, we choose–elevate and climb, or lay ourselves low and serve. We choose to reach for the greatness of the finite, or the greatness of the Infinite.
Still the words of Jesus echo–Be small, my child, be small.
*This is another Five Minute Friday post…find out more about FMF here.
