Peter Panning

Don't they say that some people never grow up? I think I'm more afraid of never growing up, or rather never changing than of growing up. I am no Peter Pan. That doesn't mean I don't love the spirit that is contained in children, the wonder and the innocence; but thats just it. It's in Children. It is not becoming for an adult to pretend to be a child! We have to leave space to grow up and to change, its not as much fun as you would think to maintain one attitude towards life forever. It reminds me of the chronicles of Narnia. Yes I know i've quoted it before but you have to admit C.S. Lewis is a pretty prolific author. Peter is talking about his sister Susan who doesn't return to Narnia at the end of all things and he says, somewhat wistfully, “Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can” Like I wrote in my last post, I want to grow old, I don't want to be stagnated and settle in one mindset forever no matter how good it was for that season. You can't pick a flower and preserve it alive forever, it will die eventually! There is a time for everything, laughing, crying, dancing and working. In the same way our lives involve seasons, what a shame it would be if the world always remained in one season and we never ran on the beach in the hot sun drinking coca cola diving in the cool water and soaking in the vitamin D through our warm skin, or watch a sunset over the the golden glow of multicolored leaves on the tall trees in a brisk Autumn breeze thats my favorite one (maybe with a pumpkin spice latte in hand). What if we never met the new year with flowers just creeping out of their icy beds and climbing up to meet the sun. A time filled with new life, bright colors, births and renewal going on everywhere. And finally what if we never got to see blankets of snow in the quiet woods and frozen lakes snuggling next to a warm fire cuddled with loved ones under a blanket maybe with a Christmas tree sparkling in the corner. (I know these are my americanized twenty-first century ideas of seasons but God does make beautiful things out of a combination of time and nature.) Seasons in nature are beautiful and I think that the ones in our lives should be no less appreciated. Don't try to stay young forever its no good, let yourself grow, change, and experience the proper seasons of life that God sets up.

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"

--Robert Browning