The Sandlot Moment

It was Friday afternoon and it was raining. Typical, since the locals dub this city “Rain-couver”. I had a free afternoon and the bike shop happened to be open, so I decided to take the “new-to-me” bike in to get a tune up.

 Since they said it would be done by the end of the day, I decided to go for a walk to the playground down the block. This playground was not like other playgrounds. It had a mini ninja warrior rope climbing thing that looked intriguing. After checking around to notice who was watching, I climbed up and around the whole thing and was surprise at how easy it was, (yes, I workout!). I noticed a little league park next to the playground and saw a young dad playing with his two young kids. They were dancing in the outfield waiting for dad to hit a grounder to them. I smiled and walked the edge of the outfield on the sidewalk back to the main road.

 I stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed something in the tree on my right. “Shut up!” Where the words that came out of my mouth as I stood there in shock.

There in the tree, was sitting the most magical sight to any outdoor adventure girl: a tree house! Not just any tree house, it was a hand-built tree house complete with a "roof" and a swing! 

Words don’t even begin to describe the pure joy I had when I climbed up in it and sat there, sheltered from the rain, and glanced through the trees to see the baseball field. I was having a true “Sandlot moment” and it was so beautiful, I cried. Yep. I was that grown woman, sitting in a tree house, in the rain, staring at the baseball field crying.

It was as if my childhood dream came true, (I have ALWAYS wanted a tree house!) and God was letting me go back into childhood bliss when life was easy. You never had to worry about what life was going to throw at you, you lived everyday without anticipating what was going to happen tomorrow. You knew your parents would take care of you and if something were to happen, they would be there to fix it. You lived free! I sat there, thanking God that He gave me freedom to live like a child again. A place where I didn’t have to worry about what turn life was going to take. A place where I was not constantly thinking about the future but locked into the present. I get to live in the moments of each day the Lord brings.

Have you ever experienced living in that freedom? If not, you can today! Don’t settle for less than that freedom that only Jesus can bring. He blesses those with childlike faith. Faith that holds on to the present moment and enjoys the little things, realizing that our Father in Heaven will take care of us.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:1-4

"This is how Jesus characterized conversion. It pictures faith as the simple, helpless, trusting dependence of those who have no resources of their own. Like children, they have no achievements and no accomplishments to offer or commend themselves with" John MacArthur explains. As our Father, he just wants us!  His love is not conditional, but unending. Step into freedom today! Thank God for the little things!  

(Picture taken from Google images.)