This morning I was playing in the park with my three year old son when I got to see one of my favorite things in life. That is pure joy expressed in the smile and laughter of a child. I know it sounds a bit cliche' but seeing children laugh and play without any other thoughts in the world is beautiful.
Today my son wanted to play on the swings which always means I have to stand behind him pushing him. No matter how many times I push the swing, his smile and constant laughter never ceases. Since today we only had one "Daddy pushed so hard I fell off the swing incident", the joy was pretty consistent.
Then I had a revelation. Today was the day that my son would learn how to kick his legs and generate enough momentum to move himself through the air. As he learned the technique the joy only increased. Once he had the hang of it and was keeping the swing in motion, my selfish plan had reached the point of success. I slowly walked away from him, sat myself on the next swing over, and joined in the pure bliss of flying through the air. My plan of helping my son achieve independence on the swing was purely for the purpose of liberating me from the job of pushing and to give me the opportunity to join in the fun.
I find that reminders of these small joys in life that my boys give help me understand the kind of freedom Christ wants our lives to possess. Surely the kingdom of God belongs to "such as these".
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