The Simple Pleasures

Have you ever wondered why it is that small children know what it is that they want to do with their time? Granted Noah can't talk, but he makes it very clear that he loves to go to the park, for a stroller ride, or to the splash park. I wouldn't even need to ask him that question, I would already know the answer.

Why is it that Jonathan and I sit around in the evening asking each other "what do you want to do?" When the question is asked, we don't have a definitive answer, we just look at each other shrug our shoulders, or say "I don't know." How rarely we actually have a definitive answer.

Our son, who is only 17 months old, has an answer. Life is simple to him. I don't know when it is in life, that we lose our ability to just see joy and pleasure in the simplest things that life has to offer. Noah will settle for just a stroller ride in the evening. The equivalent of a walk for us. Why is it that this isn't as joyous for us? Why do we lose our ability to just take joy in our surroundings and the world that the lord has created? We somehow need more than that to enjoy ourselves. What happened to simple? What happened to free? What happened to our childlike minds?

How thankful I am that the Lord gave us the blessing of Noah to be reminded of the simple pleasures. It doesn't take lots of money or lavish food to bring a smile to his face, it doesn't even take spending money. How envious I find myself of my son's mentality.

I guess that is why the Lord tells us to become childlike. The beauty in simplicity, something to strive for.