Jesus while on Earth going about his ministry and teaching his Disciples what they needed to know for there time of ministry talked about children. The one quote most point to is "Unless you believe as one of these you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Children are born with original sin until Baptism. Then as they grow they hit the ages I love. I call it the golden ages it is before they learn to lie or be mean or know the meaning of gossip, bearing false witness or hate. These lessons they learn later and are often taught at home although not intentionally. I mean lets face it they gotta learn it someplace.
This quote has been most often looked at as a statement about the honesty or the trust a child has but there might be one section meaning that is overlooked as a given therefore not often meditated upon by some of us of the one true Catholic and Apostolic Church so I offer just a taste of this missing element in a life lesson from when I was very young. And no not when "Dino Polo" was played in high school as some of my children are fond of thinking.
I was four at the time and living with my Grandmother who by all accounts was to me "Mom" because my biological Mother set me upon my Grandmothers porch when I was one and a half malnourished and she decided with my Father in Vietnam she did not want to deal with me anymore. I don't blame her for this, She carried me for nine months and never intentionally abused me. She was just too young and inexperienced to deal with a child and a household alone. I have always been grateful for what she did for me she loved me enough to give me away before any lasting harm came to me. So if you were named Joyce Goodboe at one time and you read this know that you are loved still by your son.
So at the age of four I had been living with "Mom" for about two and a half years and was just entering the time frame that this old man can remember about his earlier years, and no Marc Antony was not the running back on my High School Football team. It was a day like any other my Grand Mother watched her "soaps" and as usual the mail came at noon. It must have been a hard time money wise because she without thinking she said aloud " I wish I wouldn't get anymore bills. Now somehow this statement resonated with me. I loved my Grand Mother beyond measure and everything she said was very real and relevant to me. I loved her, I trusted her beyond measure and at four would have gone to any length to stop her from hurting or worrying. However at four you really don't know what is a bill and what is not, all I knew was I wanted her to stop hurting and worrying. So I engineered a plan I thought was great at the time, however hindsite is 20/20. I would during the day while playing watch for that man who was bringing this bad news here. When the mail arrived I would get it and bury it in the backyard. My "Mom" did not want anymore bills and if I had anything to say about it she would never get another bill. This was going on for about two weeks or so and I never realized my Grandmother was going crazy because she was getting no mail at all. She complained to the Post Office and to the mail man and was getting bombarded on the phone with over due bill notices. But she never thought to ask me and I was very happy with the knowledge that I was bringing joy into my "Moms" life.
Still another two weeks and cut off notices were being delivered over the phone by the utility companies. I on the other hand had lots of mail and was still burying at different points around the house. I guess it was the process of elimination or a neighbor finally tipped her off but she came to the realization that it was me. So she decided to watch one day and see what was happening to the mail. As so many days before I dutifully trotted out to the mailbox and grabbed the mail and went to my latest burying point. Now as we age we learn things and at four I was not going to talk fast enough to escape the butt whooping that was coming to me. I was confused because I was only doing what I did because she said she didn't want anymore bills.
However it was more than that even at four I had enough love for her that I would do anything out of that love I had. If she had asked me water ski in the Mojave desert. I might have died in the effort but it didn't matter nothing mattered except for the love and trust I had in her. I would have done anything she asked because my love for her was so deep I could not possibly have done anything else. This is what I think gets looked over when Jesus said "unless you believe as one of these you cannot enter The Kingdom of Heaven. We have to love God so much that nothing else matters NOTHING! I believe this is what Jesus wanted to convey to his disciples and to us today. So if you have not told God his son Jesus The Holy Spirit and Our Mother in Heaven Mary that you loved them today do so now. I am sure they are wanting to hear from you and are wanting you to say how much you love them. The faith of a child comes from total love and trust and a willingness to do anything out of these deep feelings. Perhaps it is sad we grow up and far too often forget what that kind of love really feels like. It is a love that can bring you to tears. It is a love that never forgets, and Grandma I know you are looking down upon me and seeing this. I can say finally I am home now and back with the one true Church. And I will never forget all you have given me and how much I loved you and Grandpa Edwards. I pray that as you read this you will understand how deep my feelings run for both of you and I look forward to the day we will see each other again. As you know my Dads terminal with cancer so pray for him that he will be lifted up to heaven to spend eternity with you. With love to all my Brethren God Bless You and remember to tell those who are important to you that you love them. You never know what tomorrow brings.
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