GROW UP YOU PESKY KID

Our Small Group is studying the book Putting Away Childish Things.  Before you run out and try to buy this book, I must warn you it is out of print.   It can be a little disconcerting to have a book underlined before you open the first page, but when you buy a used book you need to expect this.  Their Ah-Ha's are not necessarily mine.   I find myself not always on the same page with the  author's opinions (Pun intended).  The good thing is this causes me to think and seek-always profitable for growth.



A self proclaimed amateur psychologist--introspection has been a great tool in my life.  Behavior always has a root cause and I relish digging around and discovering the root.  Though I am not totally on board with the author, I do agree our experiences as children have lasting and life long repercussions.  The sting of harsh words and experiences are difficult to put behind us as well as any childhood trauma.  Conversely, we may have also have left our childhood with a sense of entitlement or over blown importance.  The problem is when our child driven behavior develops a wedge between us and a deep knowledge of Who God is because we have not been able to move past it.



The first chapter convicted me of my own bad habit of reacting in a childish manner to those nearest and dearest during my life.  Insert Passive Aggressive as my middle name on my birth certificate.  As a child we were taught to repress and keep quiet, no matter what the circumstance.  I learned that lesson well and carried it forward to my adulthood.  When angry, unhappy, frustrated, or any other negative emotion, I clammed up and shut down.  NOT a healthy habit and far from fair to those who had jerked my chain.  With time, I have developed better habits of speaking my piece after my anger had cooled.  We are all human and tend to get on each other's last nerve at times.  Speak the truth and let it go has served me well in the last few years.  Since we all look through different eyes (reference to recent eye surgery), we do not perceive actions in the same light.  So don't stuff it~let it flow, but be prepared and open to hearing what others may have seen through their eyes.  Our past experiences tend to slant our opinion and the same experience can be recounted as two very different stories from two different viewpoints.  It's the old story I told long ago about my bank training concerning robberies.  You were not to discuss anything about the robbery until you were interviewed by the police.  For you see, we all will come up with a different description of the robber and the series of events.  Somewhere in the middle is the truth.




So what have I learned so far, TELL THAT PESKY KID TO HUSH!  Recognize when your inner child is reacting and give him the GROW UP lecture and a swift STUFF IT.   Time to put childish things behind.  A little introspection can go a LONG WAY~time for me to chew on the real meat of God's Word and wean myself from the milk of my childhood.  Learn from the past and look to the future will serve me well.


When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
I Corinthians 13:11

4 comments

  1. Reference your quote from Corinthians - are you telling me that when Paul grew up he stopped playing with his train set? Or his toy soldiers?

    I believe that as we grow older we often look back, and behave as if we were/are still children. I still play computer games. I do climb trees; albeit with a ladder these days. And when I am in an elevator I still press all the buttons for all the floors. It's great to be young when you're old. Oh ... and I still put a red thing in the washing machine just for fun and see everything turn pink!

    God bless.

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    1. It is still fun to play games! I play a rousing set almost weekly with friends. I still pout when I don’t win. What a brat!
      Blessings, My Friend!

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  2. Yes, we do need to put away childish things, yet still protect and nurture the inner child within us. I know from my experiences that allowing my inner child to come out in healthy ways has made my life so much richer in many ways.
    Blessings, Lulu!

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    1. I agree, Martha! My inner child loves an adventure and laughter--what could be wrong with that?
      Blessings, My Friend!

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Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!