During a long car ride, we needed to stop and refresh ourselves, if you know what I mean. We then decided to get a light meal. Since we were using my friend’s car, I told her I was buying. She gave me her order, and I turned back to the young man behind the counter and said, rather sheepishly, “And a Kid’s Junior Meal, please.” He did not blink an eye. Zip, zip, and her order appeared. There was a teeny, tiny burger, a baby handful of fries, a super small cup for the drink of her choice, and a wrapped, plastic toy. At the table, she handed me the toy. All of my life, people who know me tend to think that I would want or need (?) the toy. Go figure. As I watched her enjoy every last bite, I thought of all the mothers who eat a double bacon cheeseburger with supersized fries, and then eat what a disinterested child leaves on the plate. Come on now, tell me you’ve never done that?
But I wander from my point.
When are you too old? My Social Security friend is not too old for a Junior Meal. What am I not too old for?
There was a wonderful commercial circulating for a while. Three well-aged women were watching children sled down a snowy hill. One got the brainy idea of ordering a tushy cushion for each of them. You then see them sledding down that same hill, giddy with the delight of eight-year-olds.
I have seen a 99-year-old get up out of her seat on multiple occasions and gently dance to Twist And Shout.
I wonder at our adult choices to stop using the words “wonder”, “happiness”, and “fun”. We seem to have replaced them with the words “serious”, “worry”, and “later”.
In Jesus’ time, over two thousand years ago, the religious powers-that-be insisted that everyone follow a boatload of difficult rules. And the people worked hard at being serious rule followers, worrying that they might mess up on just one of hundreds of rules and pay the price later. Jesus told adults to love God and to love one another. All of the other Good rules would fall into place behind those two rules. So simple, a child could understand. And it still left room for “wonder”, “happiness”, and “fun”.
Of course, life is serious. We should concern ourselves with tomorrow for ourselves, our family, and the world. And yet, that concern should not take over completely, draining the wonder, happiness, and fun out of our lives.
If you can still move, listen to music, and dance a little.
If you can still see, watch a beautiful sunset.
If you can still eat, order a Kid’s Junior Meal.
There is a toy inside.
He (Jesus) called a little child to himself and placed the child among them.
And He said, “Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven,”
Matthew 18:2-3, New International Version
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