Desires of Young Hearts

Dear Friends,

I hope you are doing well!

In the last few weeks, after finding myself more tired than I knew I was, I have been laying down more rhythms and disciplines for rest—sitting on the floor to build blocks with my children, reading a few extra picture books with them, baking bread with apples from the farmers market, taking time in the afternoon to sit down for a few minutes.

I’m more inclined to keep going, to not sit, and to push, so these practices move against my natural inclinations.

In these micro moments of rest, I’m rediscovering peace and contentment. As we enter Advent, I pray we can all anchor into life-giving connection with Christ, our faith, and those dear to us.

Read on and I hope you enjoy!

Christ’s Peace,

Caitlan

When I go to schools and churches for author visits, I start by asking the children a couple of questions to earn their trust.

Though I often don’t know these children before this first encounter, my two typical questions open up a floodgate of answers. Kids are eager to share their hearts.

The two questions I ask children echo the little grain’s desires in my book, The Restless Grain. In the first few pages of the book, the little grain repeats, “I want to see things, go places, and become something important.”

These are the questions I ask: If you could go anywhere in the whole world right now, where would you go? When you grow up, what do you want to be?

Illustrator, Ximena Palencia and I took so much time to get these pages just right and I’m so glad we did. I love admiring them now.

After I ask each question, hands fly into the air.

I want to go: to Disneyland, to Jurassic Park, to Japan, to Mexico, to the beach, to Ohio…

I want to be: a teacher, a paleontologist, an influencer, a pop star, an archeologist, an author, a marine biologist…

In addition to their creative answers, I am struck by how easily they share these big desires of their hearts. They simply want to share, to be seen and heard.

We can almost see the sharing children do as helping them along in their process of becoming who they were created to be. For, how often does what we share not matter as much as how it is received by the listener.

We adults also want to be seen and heard, but often we don’t share or we share defensively, because of the wounds we carry. What a beautiful example our children give us—to share vulnerably and with hope.

When I’m in a class, my attention is 100% on the children and their answers. I’m there for an author visit so it’s my joyful job to show up for them.

Can I answer in the same way for how I show up at home?

Sometimes we get distracted by the tasks at hand, and very often what we are doing can be set aside, at least for a moment.

I cannot speak for you, but I can speak for myself: I want to grow in discipline to put down what I am doing and look into my children’s eyes and listen. I want to grow in gratitude that they want to share their hearts with me. I want to grow in trust that the opportunity to stop and be present to them outweighs my restless self-seeking in the present moment.

Share

Our children certainly have many lessons to offer us. And, let’s not cut ourselves short, we have a lot to offer them!

When we remain with them in the daily bits of learning and growing, we get to help guide them into a good life—a life of virtue. That is, true happiness.

We get to teach them how to exercise self-control to not throw a hard object at their sibling out of anger. To say, “I’m sorry” after the object has been thrown and made contact with their sibling’s head. To practice reconciliation by saying, “I forgive you and I love you.” To practice generosity in helping a sibling or helping around the house.

They teach us purity of heart and we get to guide them in wisdom, and together we walk toward Jesus.

This process isn’t glamorous or post-worthy. It is found in the ordinary and unseen. And, it requires trust that it’s happening or “working.”

But, like the little grain of wheat that grows and finds himself with Jesus at the end, I have hope that in our efforts of work and rest and becoming, we will find the same.

I can’t tell you how exciting it was to wait to see how Ximena would illustrate Jesus. I love Jesus’ loving gaze in this illustration!

Need a Christmas gift for your godchild, grandchild, or other little one in your life? Send or give your precious one a copy of my new children’s picture book, The Restless Grain: A Tale of Hope. Paperback available on Amazon. Email me at rangel.caitlan@gmail.com to purchase a hardcover.