Click



There is nothing quite like watching things “click” for a three-year-old. 

My daughter, Molly, is in that stage of life where things are beginning to make sense. She’s starting to really understand cause and effect. She’s learning that she can build, play, create, catch, dance, and do a bunch of really awesome activities. So, I have this pretty cool front-row seat where I get to watch her discover and learn. 

I’ve watched as Molly’s favorite refrain has gone from “what?” to “watch this.” I’ve seen confusion become clarity. I’ve witnessed skeptical eyes fill with joy. I’ve heard the proud laughter of a child who’s proud of herself. I’ve seen her jaw drop. I’ve seen her eyes fill with happy tears. I’ve watched a smile slowly creep across her face in astonishment. It is so cool when life clicks, when things start to make sense.

Jesus has me thinking about that lately.

I’ve been reading the Gospel of Mark and there seems to be a ton of confusion over who Jesus is and what he is all about. At one point Jesus addresses the Pharisees saying, “Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? … Do you not yet understand (8:18, 21)?” Throughout the gospel the disciples are continuously confused, even as they watch Jesus calm storms, raise the dead, cast out demons and walk on water. Even at the end of Mark’s gospel when the women go to the tomb and find it empty, there is no clarity. Rather, they leave afraid and distraught (16:8). 

And yet, embedded in a book filled with confusion there are moments of clarity. There are times when the characters grasp what’s really happening. A demon calls Jesus by name (5:7). Peter identifies Jesus as the Messiah (8:29). A core group of disciples are inspired by the Transfiguration (9:1-8). And at the end a Roman guard says, “Truly this man was God’s son (15:39).” There are times when it clicks. 

I don’t know about you, but the farther I get from three-years-old the less life seems to click. I’ve found more confusion, more doubt, more frustration, and more stress. However, there are still moments that seem crystal clear. 

Recently, I’ve had the privilege of walking with a dear friend through the last stage of life. When they took their last breath it didn’t seem like the end of anything at all. Rather, it really felt like the beginning of an abundant, eternal, and pain-free paradise. Life. Death. New life. Click. 

I spent three days this week “phasing” my daughter into pre-school. Her innocent and honest approach to the next chapter in her life was inspiring. She was the one beginning school, and yet, I was the student. New beginnings. Next chapter. New life. Click.  

Life can be a chaotic and confusing mess, but there are times when it clicks. They don’t happen to us as adults nearly as much as they do for three-year-olds. However, when they happen they do bring the same joy.

May your life click today.
May your eyes be filled with joyful tears.
May your hearts be opened to new realities.
May your refrain turn from “what” to “watch this.”
May your days be filled with proud laughter.
May your jaw hit the floor not from incredulity, but from clarity.
May that knowing smirk that only happens when life clicks, slowly creep from ear to ear. 

In the Way,
SDH

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ashes & Gasoline

I have recently discovered a whole other level of panic. I was filling up gas cans for my snowblower and the pump wouldn’t stop pouring out gasoline. In the event that this experience has never happened to you, you’ll have to take it from me… it. is. terrifying. The handle on the pump would not release. And so, there I stood at 9:30 at night in a lonely parking area, dispensing gallons of gasoline onto the cold concrete. What made this level of panic different than others is that I really felt completely and totally helpless. After what seemed like an eternity of showering my shoes with lighter fluid it dawned on me that I could put the handle in my car and hopefully get the automatic shut off to kick in. Luckily, it worked. (Side note: since this happened 1,383 people [or so and counting] have told me that I could have just put the handle back and some mechanism would have shut off. I did not know or think of that. It wasn’t my brightest hour.) Afterwards, I entered the stati
Read more

Awkward, Again.

So, I’m by myself in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at a bar that is waaaaaaaayyy too hip for me (and, quite frankly, I cannot believe there are places in Sheboygan that are too hip for me). Ten minutes ago, I asked the receptionist in the hotel lobby where the “cool kids” grab dinner (I, by the way, did not sound like a “cool kid” when I asked that question). She sent me here.   I’m desperately trying to fit in. The only problem is it is awkward. No, actually, I’m awkward. I want to order a beer but based on the tap handles it looks like my options are clown juice, buffalo something, or Budweiser (and I’m not ordering Budweiser).  I say, “Can I just have a pale ale?” The bartender asks if I want  circus-something  or  bison-whatever . “Whatever most people like,” I say. He asks if I want a pint or a mug. I say, “Whichever is bigger.” A moment later he approaches with a beer in the biggest mug I have ever seen. As I take my first sip, I look like a toddler trying to drink milk from a
Read more

The Pajama Package

We accidentally sent a package to our old house. It contained Christmas pajamas for the kids. These pajamas were critical to operations in the Hannon household. See, we needed them for a cute Christmas picture. Our first attempts at obtaining this sacred package involved a call to the store. After minutes on hold and a merry-go-round conversation (the type of discussion that is verbose without accomplishing anything at all), we were told to call FedEx. The discussion with FedEx was more fruitful, but it left us with the option of canceling the delivery and thus the order and thus the sweet deal Kate worked out for the beloved pajamas OR retrieve the package from our old house. I voted to cancel the order. Kate voted for me to get the package from our old house. Guess who won? I called our realtor and asked if she would reach out to the new owner of the old house to warn them of the ever-so-important delivery. She did and we worked out an arrangement for me to pick
Read more