"Never grow up, never grow up, never grow up...Not me..."

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”  Matt 18:1-5,10,12-14

There is so much said here in this short passage about who we should be and how we should  live our lives. Every time I hear or read this passage, something new stands out that just didn't seem to be there before, and, today, I think I had one of the biggest "aha" moments of all.
I have often heard people say, and I never really disagreed, that Jesus means for us to have faith like a child: unquestioning, blind, innocent faith.  I guess there is something true in that statement, but as I read the passage today, something completely different came to mind. 
How many children do you know that don't question? Seriously, think about it (especially those of you who are parents of younger children, or who work with younger children). I have never met a child who didn't question just about everything. 
From the time they can speak at all, they are questioning. I remember my daughter as a toddler going around to everything, pointing, and asking "What's this?"  About a year later the "why?" stage began. She's twelve now, and she still questions EVERYTHING. 

What does it mean, then, to be like a child in order to be greatest in the kingdom? Question everything, but be humble in your search and acceptance of knowledge. One thing about children, is that the world is full of wonder and awe. Each day is a brand new experience for them. They are not jaded by the world, and they haven't yet built walls to guard themselves. They do question, but they also trust the answers we give them. They look to those around them for safety and security, and they love immediately and unconditionally. Children want to be a part of things, and they are such joyful helpers. We should be more like them in our acceptance and love of others and in our desire to help, but also in our willingness to follow. 

One thing that is so precious about a child, is that they have no preconceived notions. Put a toddler on a playground with ten other toddlers, and it doesn't even matter if they speak the same language! They will find a way to communicate, and they will play together. There are no racial or social boundaries with children. They demonstrate perfectly the fact that we are created to love and live together in peace. 

The second part of this passage gets me every time.  How many of us have been that one lost sheep who strayed from the rest? Distracted by things of the world, or drawn away by something more appealing in that moment, we walk away and eventually become so engrossed with whatever it is that we can't find our own way home.  When that happens, we are always searched out and given the opportunity to come back.