Life Through The Eyes of a 10-Year-Old

 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.  Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children.”  Mark 10:14

This past week, I spent a day again with my niece, Raya who is 10-years-old.  It was another planned “Raya Day” with one of the goals to go school shopping.  The adventure turned out to be a reflective time about life from the perspective of a child.

Raya came to our house looking very tired.  She hugged me but was not her usual energetic self.  She had not slept well because of the thoughts that kept going around in her mind.  She needed a nap before we began our adventure so Raya slept for an hour.  Do you know when you are too tired to go on and just need a nap?  Many times, we just push through and do not listen to the needs of our bodies.  We think it is impossible to find time to nap, but our bodies were not made to be in overdrive all the time.  Just a five-minute rest to close our eyes and settle our souls does wonders for our attitude and outlook on life.  It also gives us time to rest our thoughts and focus on God’s presence.

Ray ate a small but healthy breakfast – orange juice and a banana which helped her regain her joy and strength.  Later that day for a snack, she had cottage cheese.  She knew all of this was healthy for her.  Sometimes, we know what is good for us, but we do not make the healthy choice or it is not in our home.  It is also having someone that guides us to make better choices.  God wants us to depend on Him in making our choices not the world or advertising.  Our bodies our God’s temple, choose wisely. 

As we entered the store, we had a plan. Raya had a style in her head that she wanted for her clothes.  She did not want to dress and look like the “popular” or “mean” girls.  She knew what she liked and quickly found her outfits for school.  She was decisive, focused, and able to put clothes together with a little guidance from her aunt.  Once we arrived home, Raya had a great time trying on the outfits and having a little style show.

As I reflect on this time, Raya, even at her young age, knows who she is right now.  It is choosing what you like and being who you are.  It is not depending on others to choose for you or define what you like or what you should do.  Use your God-given ability to make your decisions.  It is following the words of Scripture in Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to this world, but be transformed.”  Or as another version states – “Do not change yourself to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.”

We had lunch with my cousins, and they rode to the restaurant in their slingshot bike.  My cousin, Dan, offered Raya a ride around the parking lot in it.  Her eyes got real big and she was unsure about it.  It was scary to try something new, but she did it scared and loved it.  She was excited to share about her adventure later with her dad.  A child teaches us that sometimes we have to do things scared.  It may be something we want to do, an experience that looks exciting, a new thing that we never thought about doing, but we take the step and try it.  Being scared and anxious should not stop us from trying.  We miss out on a lot of the adventures of life if we only do what we have always done and not step out of our comfort zone.

Raya has an ornery and teasing part of her.  She loves to have fun and smile and laugh and lovingly tease others.  She is able to hold a conversation with anyone and enjoys sharing about what she thinks is important.  Being ten, she does not have good boundaries and can go too far in the ornery category.  She needs her aunt to set the boundaries and pull her back.  Don’t we all need help in setting boundaries and can get off track at times.  God sets good boundaries out of His love for us.  God guides us and protects us and helps us stay on track through His Word and through His Holy Spirit.

It is a joy to have a conversation with a ten-year-old, she knows the difference between right and wrong and what is good and bad and what is healthy and not healthy.  She will defend her friends and is comfortable being who God created her to be.  Raya is growing in her faith and love for Jesus.

As I reflect on life through the eyes of a ten-year-old, I want to hold to the truth of Jesus’ words – “You must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child.” (Mark 10:15).  It is enjoying the adventures of life. Doing life even when you are scared. Trusting God even when you do not understand.  Being who God created you to be.  Ask questions.  Talk to people.  Try new flavors of ice cream.  Be a little ornery and laugh and find the joy in life.  It is also good to have someone to walk beside and share in the joys of life together!

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