peace . love . joy

Ever felt the torture and embarassment of a kid's brutal honesty?

They don't tell it like you want to hear it; they don't use polite words, nor avoid touchy subjects, nor sugary coat their sentences, they simply tell it like it is. Their honesty explained in this manner definitely sounds no more appealing than a fly in a soup, but children know nothing but honesty. They don't lie. So in that respect at least, you can be assured that their opinions and their reports are precisely what they've heard or seen or felt or smelt or tasted.

So what happened between that innocent honest beginning and the conniving calculative adult? I remember learning to lie when I was about nine. I forged my first signature when I was nine on a spelling test I did not do well in. I was ashamed for that bad grade, but at the same time, I was afraid of the consequences of the bad result. A classmate told me to copy one of my parent's signature onto the paper. I asked if that was all right and she said "perfectly so". So then of course my parents were asking after my results, to which I lied saying that it was not returned to us yet. And from then on, I was educated in the art of verbal deception, and I am rather ashamed to say that I grew to be very good at it. My lies were fool-proof and never found out.

Perhaps not all of us have lied to such "terrible extents", but how about telling someone their make up is horrible, or their outfit looks crummy, or their room smells funny, or the food isn't that good? Do you say it like it is, but of course in a more tactful manner and not as painfully blunt as a kid might phrase it? Or do you avoid the subject altogether, and when breached, you answer with a vague but total opposite sentiment to what you really think?

A child's honesty cloud also shadows on the pasture of their requesting for something or someone. Their words are not coated in bashfulness nor unworthiness nor uncertainty. There are exceptions like for example naturally shy children who speak very quietly and with their heads bowed, fingers in nervous knots and feet pointed towards each other. But more often than not, especially towards their parents and siblings, children ask with no shame. "I want that cookie!" or "I need to go potty!" or "Carry me!" Familiar? I'll be you asked the same things in the same manner when you were little.

As an adult, we feel a strange sense of uncertainty that what we ask for may be refused. If for no good reason, we accept, but if for a reason that borders on sensitive issues or self-image, we feel absolutely devastated and embarrassed and wished we'd never asked in the first place. And as we grow older, some of us might even feel ourselves not up to even asking for anything! For some reason, our emotions have gone on overdrive and steer our lives. Our emotions, particularly pride, have become our masters.

Emotions are not downright evil. They are given to us by God, crafted into our beings as a gift to assist us in our relationship and experiences with God, our Lover. I learnt in Sociology that emotions are at least one of the components that make us human. So we need them. But when they takeover and we become their slaves, it is wrong. God and only God can be our rightful master, and we His humble servants.

Undeserving indeed are we of His generosity and love and forgiveness and protection and care and even attention. Insufficient are are our words and actions and behaviors of praise and worship and adoration to Him. But still He chose to look, to listen, to be a part of our lives, of us.

When I ask Him for something, even something as seemingly trivial as a good dream at night, I feel a great sense of unworthiness, that my sins are great and so I deserve not His even listening to my requests. My words and even body language as I speak them reflect this inner turmoil. I have lost that child-like innocence to demand from my parent, even though as a child, I owe everything including my very existence to my parents and "by right" have no right to ask anything of them.

But the Father says to praise and to honour and to glorify and to beseech and to plead and to converse with Him. It is practically a command, I feel!

We are unworthy, yes. But through the blood of the blemish-less Lamb, we have been made worthy. The bridge has been restored.

Do not avoid or cover up your sin. Do not feed your sinful nature and give in to pride and ego, lying and giving excuses for your moments of weakness to the Lord for He desires not that response to your giving in to temptation. Instead, expose it! Tell it like it is! Reveal your hand of cards on the table! Lie it naked before the Lord and ask that He forgives you.

Pray; give thanks and ask the Lord, who has sent His one and only Son to die for you, for everything and anything!

Speak with a heart that knows its unworthiness, but also a heart that hopes in faith to receive.

Encourage each other to speak in Truth, even if it is the hardest thing to do with another person, even if it is the hardest thing to hear from another person.

It is hard to return to this state of child-like frankness.

But try to embrace, that it may not be shackled to your feet and weigh you down, & look past, that it may not blind you to the Truth, that sin that was wiped with pure and holy blood from your slate, and see the Almighty reaching out to you with loving hands and gaze.