Approach the new year with childlike wonder

    Congratulations! The Mayans were wrong. We made it to January and have reached the beginning of a brand new year. Just passing through Advent, we are also celebrating a new year in our liturgical calendar.  
    Now is usually the time where everyone begins making resolutions. Maybe some of you have set or even broken them already. Whatever the case, I’m sure we all have been reflecting how this year might be different. Now is an appropriate time for self-reflection.
    As I have been praying and reflecting upon my own desires and goals, one Bible verse keeps coming up. It comes from Matthew 18:3 where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
    Most of us are familiar with this Scripture passage. But have we really allowed this truth to penetrate our hearts? Read it again: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
    This is a really big deal! Christ is calling us out here. He is giving us a major instruction. What does he tell us to do? He says to become like a child.
    So what does this mean for us? Obviously, it requires change. Christ states this explicitly. We all know how difficult change can be; however, when we are speaking of conversion to Christ, who assists us with his grace, we know that this change is surely worth any of the risks or pains involved.
    The main conversion at hand is from a childish heart to a more childlike one. We are not called to be childish. To have a childish heart is to have a sinful heart. How do children often react when they don’t get their way? They throw temper tantrums. Children tend to act out of impatience, selfishness or jealousy until they are disciplined to respond otherwise.
    Childish ways are not simply reserved for children, either. Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment and consider how many times a week we are tempted to respond to the situations life throws our way with impatience. How often do we desire to clench our fists and throw a “temper tantrum” because things aren’t working out according to our plans?
    My guess is that we all struggle with this far more often than we’d even like to admit. Perhaps, in the midst of our self-reflection, we should consider how much we actually crave that same kind of discipline that we received as children through God, our loving Father.
    In Hebrews 12:10-11, we see that “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time… However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
    Culturally speaking, all of the odds are stacked against us when building a habit of virtue in our lives. The chronic symptoms of our culture include being too busy, bored, distracted and disconnected. We spend so much time entertaining ourselves without ever truly feeling satisfied. We have so many things to do; yet, the things that we keep busy with never really capture our hearts.
    It is hard to pinpoint how any one of us should be striving for virtue in exactly the same way, but we all can admit that we at least have one or two very undisciplined habits that coincide with these symptoms. Part of waking up the healthy childlike wonder of our hearts is getting these things in order.
    A childlike heart knows God’s disciplines and trusts in his fatherhood. It doesn’t try to call God’s bluff; it chooses to hear him out. Like Adam and Eve, we are faced with a choice. Will we listen to God, or will we turn away? Do we believe that what he says and gives us is for our good, or will we choose to take matters into our own hands?
    During this Year of Family and Faith, it would be good for us to make resolutions that go beyond simply eating healthier or exercising more. Although these ambitions are good, they don’t get straight to the heart of the matter: How much are we relying on God and his grace? Are we following the path he has given us to get to heaven?
    Maybe more questions will follow from these core questions: Are we finding the time to pray? Are we putting our lives at the service of others? Do we listen to the Word of God? Do we make it a point to meet Christ in the Eucharist? Reflecting on these things helps give us the kind of repentant heart that transforms our childishness into childlike trust.
    Being childlike is the spirit of our faith. A childlike astonishment opens our eyes to see the wonders that God has placed around us, helping us realize that our “ordinary” lives are actually quite extraordinary. Every morning God’s mercies are made new, and this is a miracle in itself.
    Our days do not have to grow monotonous, and our expectations should not remain small. Every moment is an opportunity to grow deeper in love with God and accept the gifts that he has given us anew. His love is all around us. We only need to take the time to notice it.
    Every night as we put ourselves down to rest, let us be more like children. When we think of the impending sunrise, let us say to our Father, “Do it again!” believing in the joy that this will bring. We have made known our requests for 100 different yesterdays, but the sun keeps rising on this thing that has never been known.
    If we approach this year with childlike wonder, we don’t have to face it with fear or anxiety. Trusting in the goodness of God, we can face it with excitement and eager anticipation. Every day can be like Christmas as we unwrap the gift of the present moment. Today is the most interesting gift we are given. Let us not forget. It has been wrapped with his grace.   
    Rachel Varisco can be reached at [email protected].