This morning I stumbled to the restroom and with one eye observed what was happening. There on the floor was my beloved daughter in her birthday suit held on by underwear. For a moment my mind was still sleeping but through that one eye I clearly saw what was strewn all over the floor, the nail products. I remembered quickly that she had asked yesterday if we could do the nails but I deemed yesterday unfit for artificial nail adhesion. So, there she was on the last nail, she had managed to pick out the correct sizes, I hope… for each nail, glued them fast but needed help on that last nail. On the loo I was as she approached me, “Can you help me glue this last one? I can’t get it.” Now with both eyes squinted I glued on that last nail for her. They looked good. Her desire was met. 

  CS Lewis’ book The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses has a statement that has captivated me for quite some time. 

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

Half-hearted fools who are far too easily pleased? How does this word find you today?  I was a pretty strong-willed child but through the years I feel like that edge slid off of driving desires. Sure, I want this and NEED that but have a hard time achieving the desired results. The thought that my desires are TOO WEAK slaps against my half-asleep face. My child has no problem expressing or knowing her desires. Why do I? They insist on tying their own shoes, then with delight proclaim in a singsong voice, “I did it myself, I did it myself.” They know where they are going and what they desire to a fault. Insert parents. We need these fully alive wild childs as much as they need our wisdom to keep them alive. Their drive will have them catapulting off the roof to try out the new set of “wings,” certain that this one will now keep them suspended in air. 

 Jesus led the way for us:  “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”

 Pride weakens. Humility strengthens. The good news is that this systemic adult problem is asleep in children. In other words, most children are still fully immune to weak desires. When I watch my child living and breathing her desires practically every minute it inspires me. Me with my fully functioning mental faculties struggle to execute my desires. We are inspired by people with strong desires but then judge them for being intemperate. What if our strong desires don’t die in the womb after their conception?

 “…the real future of our children is wrapped up in how effectively they use their emotions and will to balance their physical, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. It is the emotions and will that must respond to the Holy Spirit, enabling spiritual principles to move to the level of lifestyle.”  Tim Kimmel Raising Kids Who Turn Out Right

 Fasting? Yes! “sweet hour of prayer?” Yes! Doing the hard things? Yes! Jim Rohn says, “Life is a unique combination of “want to” and “how to” and we need to give equal attention to both.” Our emotions “want to” and then our will must respond to the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to make resolutions and set goals and they can help provide some structure to how you operate yet they are incomplete without giving thought to how you will do it. The old phrase: where there’s a will there’s a way. Premeditated. Obsessed. Passionate. Hard-headed even. Pray that your desire will strengthen. I ponder how my child lives with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength and it throws a few logs of excitement on my fire. 

 Let’s work hard to protect our children’s strong desires, bless them as they live fully alive, and ask Jesus to use these children in our lives to awaken new passion in us in 2024.