Earlier today I walked into the living room to find my daughter and her friend had taken all the cushions off the sofas and, together with a gym mat, were using them to create and try out a variety of gymnastics stunts.

My son and his friend were doing somersaults on the trampoline in the garden.

Now I know there are parents who would be horrified. Perhaps horrified that I had taken my eyes off them long enough to sort the rubbish and recycling out. After all, the children ranged from 9 to 12 years, clearly far too young to be left in a room unsupervised for any longer than it takes to blink.

Perhaps horrified at the behaviour of the children, particularly the girls and their wayward use of the living room furniture which is, after all, designed for sitting on, not using as a springboard to hurtle over, upside down.

Or perhaps more horrified by my reaction. Calm, not cross. No discipline, no threats, no naughty step. In fact, I didn’t even tell them to stop. I watched. Indeed I smiled.

At this point you may think I’m out of the running for parent of the year, and any parent who would let their child come round to play is certifiable. I can’t speak for the other parents but I suppose I should reassure you that upon walking into the room I did the quick mental safety assessment familiar to most parents of over-active children – nothing hard within striking distance, lightbulb already removed from above the pile of cushions, gym mat in the right place, boys closely supervised on the trampoline… – but that’s not the point here.

I smiled. I smiled because they were being children. I smiled because they were using their imagination and not sat in front of a screen. I smiled because they were learning. I smiled because they weren’t afraid to take risks and try new things. I smiled because they were trying to become better at something. I smiled because they were having fun. I smiled because they dared.

You see, something struck me when I watched them. In Luke 18 Jesus tells the disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

I thought about what it actually meant to receive the kingdom of God like a little child.

What struck me about the children and their acrobatics was that they weren’t restricted by convention, fear or past experiences. They had no agenda other than to see what they could do and find out what would happen if they tried different things. They didn’t stick to their comfort zone. They were bold, daring, imaginative, enthusiastic, resilient, tireless, simple… The girls flipped and tumbled, dove and rolled without a care in the world. When my son wanted to try a somersault on the trampoline, he simply flung himself head over heels. When he landed on his back not his feet, he simply got up and tried again.

As adults we over analyse and over complicate life. As Christians we worry about what people will think, or that what we try might not work. We tread on eggshells so as not to upset someone who might have a different view. We hold on to the past. We worry that we’re not good enough, we doubt our ability, we get scared that we’ll get it wrong, get hurt or embarrassed, frightened of failure. We stay in our comfort zone and leave the trickier stuff to the ‘professionals’ who have had the training, who know the theory. You get the drift.

These kids were doing exactly the opposite. Jesus told us to receive the kingdom of God like a little child, and then commissioned us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28). If we are going to fulfil our commission, perhaps we need to shake off the stuffy sensible adult who feels the fear and counts the cost, taking the safe, comfortable path, and instead embrace the bold, fearless, enthusiastic, imaginative child, flinging ourselves head over heels into our destiny.

Remember, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Philippians 4 v 13)

Let’s step out of our comfort zones. As Mario Andretti once said (one of America’s most successful racing drivers); “If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough!”

First written 16th May 2016