Sojourner's Song

“I have become a pilgrim to cure myself of being an exile.” -G. K. Chesterton


Aaron Telian

I'm a clumsy Christian on a journey of discipline and discovery with Jesus. As a recovering Pharisee, I'm learning to trust God's grace over my goodness. I love the world, and I'm excited about learning what it means to be salt and light in a Post-Christian culture. This is where I write about living the sojourn.


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Monday, March 19, 2007

On Pouting and Pretending


There's such a freedom about children.

Today I watched a young friend of mine go galloping by on a "horse" she had found; it was, of course, a stick, although it had a clearly recognizable head, with two ears.

It is quite obvious that she adores horses, and no doubt would very much like to have a real one to ride back and forth to the sandbox, instead of a stick. There's not much comparison between the warm, breathing body of an Appaloosa and the gnarled rigidity of a discarded apple branch.

However - and this, to me, is the mystery - she matter-of-factly recognizes the unreality of experiencing "the real thing," and with hardly a second thought accepts what would seem to any reasonable grown-up a sad substitution.

Children possess a much more robust imagination than we do: we're too busy insisting on reality. (It's a stick, honey!) But I'm compelled to ask myself: who's got the better end of the stick, anyway?

I think about how frequently the things I don't have start to weasel under my skin and rumple up my contentment. Somehow I've worked myself up into thinking that it's more respectable to pout than pretend - (not that you necessarily must choose). Merely having no stomach for pretending is no license to pout - not when you can pray instead.

The Lord's encouragement is to be like a child, to walk in peace, to put a little spring in my step.

And maybe even find a toy horse to ride around.


Image courtesy of Rob Gonsalves
Posted by Aaron at 8:47 PM
Labels: Spiritual Thoughts

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I have been wanting to leave a comment with your blog. I enjoy the read, and I find alot of it to be inspiring and thought-provoking. Your couple of posts about alcohol and now this post. I had to think about what G.K. Chesterton said: "Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life." To retain something of that joy in small, simple pleasures is certainly beyond me. It takes the power of God flowing through me to live as a full man. Polski Rolski Robin

2:11 AM
Aaron said...

"It takes the power of God flowing through me to live as a full man."

Marvelously put. Thanks Robin.

7:45 AM

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