Newsletter

Become Like Children Again

06-11-2021NewsletterTom Pivonka, Provisional Coordinator

Growing up in Durango Colorado, summer was heaven on earth for me. We were blessed to live in a small town, we knew everyone, and everyone knew us, at least our last name - “isn’t that Doc Pivonka’s son?”. We had total freedom; one rule: be home before dark! In a small town with a bicycle, you could go anywhere, and do anything. No fear, not a care in the world. There were some areas that we knew we shouldn’t go, and we “generally” avoided them.

When did life change? When did fear enter the picture? When did the worries of life start to bog us down? Was it all at once, or was it just one worry, one anxiety, one small thing at a time? As I look back, it can be hard to remember those worry free childhood times.

As I indicated in my last letter, I often turn to music for inspiration, and this letter is no different. Our family loves the Christian rock band NeedtoBreathe. In a recent live album, the lead singer talks about seeing his 3-year-old son running around completely naked. He points out with admiration the confidence it takes to approach the world like that. Where did that go? In the Garden, “the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed” – (Genesis 2:25)

Don’t we long to return to the garden, to simpler times. We are being called to return to our childlike faith, our childlike expectation. “But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let them come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of god. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Lk 18:16-17.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been praying about what to write in this letter. At times, I struggle to put my thoughts on “paper”. During my recent prayer times I kept returning the joy of summer as a young boy. When I went deeper with this thought in prayer, I really got a sense that I was being called to also return to my childlike faith. As children, when we have a fear, or a need, we take it to our parents. When we do, we have great confidence that they will “fix it”. We don’t spend time thinking about it, we just “give it to them” and then go about our day. This is exactly what the Lord wants us to do. Bring it to Him, and then go about our day. He does not want us to take our worries back from Him, just leave it with Him, and let it go.

The Holy Spirit is truly amazing. Last weekend we had our General Leaders Gathering. It was an inspired and Blessed weekend. We opened the weekend with a video from Cardinal Cantalamessa. I will give you 3 guesses what he talked about. Give up? You guessed it. He talked about his wish for the church to become like children again; that we recognize our position as “beginners”, as if we were to discover the true “renewal” that Christ wishes for all of us (His church). He also encouraged us to re-connect to our “power source” – the Holy Spirit. He cautioned us to stop seeing ourselves as ‘professionals’ of the Spirit and becoming simple novices, or rather literally ‘postulants’, that is, people who are capable of still asking the Holy Spirit to ‘COME!’, as if it was the first time.

I believe the Lord is asking us individually and as a body to return to him with childlike faith and expectation. So this summer, during my prayer time, my goal will be to bring my needs, my worries, my anxieties, and give them to my Father. Then, with the faith of a child, I intend to go about my day with not a care in the world. Who will join me?

I will close with the lyrics from my current favorite NeedtoBreathe Song – “Child Again”.

Blessings,
Tom

CHILD AGAIN:
I wanna see your heart
Through my younger eyes
I wanna hear your voice
In the rain and wind
I wanna know it's safe to be
A child again

You're my hope unbroken
You're my innocence
I am free like a river
I'm a child again

Yeah, I know too much
I think I know my way around
Too smart to feel a heart break now
Too old let my safeguards down

Where'd the wonder go?
Trading magic for a measured hope
Traded dreaming for a worn out home
Tired of being in control

In the cosmic light
In the by and by
I wanna see your heart
Through my younger eyes
I wanna hear your voice
In the rain and wind

I wanna know it's safe to be
A child again

I know that gettin' hurt
Is really how redemption works
My ego is a ball and chain

My instincts only make it worse
In the mornin' light
I don't want to run from pain
You know I can't afford to cheapen grace
I know that pain just means my soul's awake

In the cosmic light
In the by and by
I wanna see your heart
Through my younger eyes
I wanna hear your voice
In the rain and wind
I wanna know it's safe to be
A child again

Let my past mean nothin'
Make it powerless
I am free like a river
I am free like a river
You're my hope unbroken
You're my innocence

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