Tony Funderburk

It”™s December 2018, as I write this, and of course that means people are ramping up their shopping time for Christmas. A lot of the focus is on buying presents for kids. And even though I haven”™t been a kid for a long, long time, I still remember the magical feeling of getting presents under the Christmas tree. But one day, it became completely clear it was time to put away childish things and focus more on why there”™s a Christmas in the first place. Here”™s something I wrote about it almost five years ago, and it still applies…

Kids have vivid imaginations.

And I loved to spend time in my own little world of make believe. I don”™t think that makes me unique at all. I”™m sure just about every kid enjoys conjuring up images of flying ponies or personal rocket ships or invisible friends. It”™s only natural.

Plus…it”™s good to have an imagination. You”™ve probably heard some people say “go ahead and have your castles in the air”just be sure to build a foundation under them”. I believe that, too. If you”™re gonna dream, dream big. Are you familiar with the story of Don Quixote? If not, look for it. It”™s a fun read. He was always dreaming the “impossible dream”. As a kid, it”™s much easier to dream the impossible dream because you don”™t yet have a bunch of harsh reality stomping your dreams into a pulp.

But as an adult, maybe you stumbled in your quest for the impossible dream. Maybe you began to realize there”™s no such thing as a flying pony. Then, your heart sank, and your mind began to focus on the day-to-day tasks”making a living, taking care of a family or household, and paying the bills. In other words…

Then kids put away childish things and become adults.

Those so called “day-to-day”tasks are vitally important, and the Apostle Paul, in the Bible, admonishes us with his letter to “put away childish things“when we become adults. So, it”™s good to embrace the reality of how the world truly works. It doesn”™t mean you have to give up or throw away your imagination. It just means you can”™t live in that make believe world anymore. However, this world has so much brightly colored, multi-textured, and glorious sensuous reality you don”™t need to make believe to behold and enjoy it.

You”™ve been given a great, big, beautiful, blue planet with everything your body needs to survive and thrive. God gives you day and night, light and dark, feelings and intellect, and you have the freedom to explore the wonders of the world. And you can pursue the passion in your heart and mind”at least when you don”™t make believe it all just happened by chance. When you reach that level of make believe, you”™re denying the existence of the only One who gives any meaning to your life.

A man or a woman can still be a child of God.

As a kid of thirteen I asked Jesus to come into my heart. He did. And even though I didn”™t live a completely moral and exemplary life, I knew He”™d never leave me nor forsake me. I don”™t have to make believe He loves me or that He”™s made a place for me to live with Him forever. And though I put away childish things when I became a man, I”™m still a child of the Living God. You can be, too. Don”™t put it off till tomorrow”tomorrow might be too late.

As A Kid

Well, all I have to do is close my eyes
And envision any place I want to be.
Then, all at once, I fly high into the sky.
And there”™s so many pretty things below to see.
Won”™t you grab your things and come with me?