Innocence

The idea of innocence has been on my mind lately. I was having a conversating with my boss at the hospital and she was talking to me about how if she could go back to any time in her life, it would be middle school. She followed that by saying, "it is just such an innocent time in life, you are worried about holding hands with a boy. OR in my case, my mom can attest to this event, being SO scared to dance with a boy at the middle school homecoming dance. I remember running to my mom when the song (that felt like lasted for 2 hrs) was finally over, and saying "my hands are so sweaty, mom!" I remember her laughing with her friends at my innocent comment. I was nervous about dancing with a boy! (A MIDDLE SCHOOL BOY, who was about a foot shorter than me) My mom's laugh was one of wisdom, she knew that the dance I had just experienced was nothing to get sweaty palms over, but her laugh was one also of joy, because she could see my innocent heart in turmoil over a silly little dance.

Another great thing about being a child is the freedom we experince. One of my favorite memories of being a child is summer evenings. The sun would be going down, all the neighborhood kids would be outside running around, barefoot with the cold grass creeping in between our toes. And we were on a mission, to catch lightening bugs! We would wait for them to glow and then run in wreckless abandon to try and get to them before they turned off their little light. We had no cares in the world! We weren't bound by a society that told us we had to act a certain way, we weren't held down by deadlines, we weren't caught up in actions that would one day bring us regret, WE WERE TRULY FREE!

Don't we all wish we could go back there? Back to the time when we were worried about the things that now seem so insignificant? To a place where we could be whoever we wanted to be and the possibilites for life were endless?

Sadly, we don't live in a world like that do we? As adults (and for myself someone growing into adulthood) we feel the pressures of knowing more or accomplishing more. We are taught to push our limits to find success. We tend to fight our way to the top of the pyramid- whether in a relationship, or in a career, or in relation to people we don't even know (this is another topic for another day). American culture grows us up in a way that makes the dreams of childhood shatter and reality set in so hard that sometimes those images of innocence are so long gone and faded we can't even recall them.

I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't try our best, or we shouldn't strive for success, but I am challenging what we define as our best and success against what God wants for our lives. And, I'm not suggesting we should live life like a child without taking action for responsibilites, but I am suggesting that there is freedom from the bondage of the worldly responsiblities.

There is a refuge who gives us this innocence and freedom we so long for, and we find a true definition for who we are, in eyes only!

There is a song out by Chris Tomlin and Christy Nockles called "Spirit of the Lord," and in this song it talks about this very theme. It is based off of 2 Corinthians 3:17,
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." It says...

We know where the Spirit of the Lord is
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty
We know living in Your freedom
Living in Your freedom we see Your glory
We know where the Spirit of the Lord is
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty
We're Yours and Yours is the Kingdom!
We are Yours and Yours is the Kingdom!

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty! What does liberty mean? Freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SEARCHING FOR!

So, in the Spirit of the Lord we find INNOCENCE and FREEDOM!

I will let God's word speak for itself when talking about the freedom we find in HIM!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

"You, my brothers (and my sisters), were called to be free..." Galatians 5:13

"O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains." Psalm 116:16

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32

"I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119: 44-45

In a world where innocence is seen as ignorance, and freedom is seen as irresponsible, let's break the mold. It is NOT necessary to experience everything! We should preserve what we don't know! There is freedom in innocence, and freedom is found in the Lord. Just like in the Garden of Eden, God will be our guide and show us things that we need to learn, we should not take matters into our own hands just to be perceived as culturally competent.

Go to the Spirit of the Lord, and there you will find true freedom, and shelter yourself, keep an innocent heart and mind. It is a beautiful cycle those who seek freedom in the Lord are innocent and those who are innocent will see the Lord. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8