A lot of times I find people shrink from cheesy and corny, but I believe there is a part of our heart that must embrace those things from time to time. The child-like heart is a little corny. Check out the kids cartoons and it’s clear that our hearts once leaped with joy at the “corny.” Perhaps it’s not the corniness that we reject but the deeper sense of childishness that it evokes. Maybe that’s even associated with weakness. We spent so much of our early life trying to reject our youth. We strove to be adults and adult-like from our play to our toys- cops and robbers, miniature kitchen sets, etc… Perhaps it’s been ingrained in us to reject the child within but a child is a master at faith, hope and love. Faith at its core has child-like qualities to it. I don’t mean to say that faith is entirely child-like or that we must enjoy all that is corny, but there is a place for it. A part of our hearts that longs for it, hungers for it, perhaps is starving for it. If you struggle with faith (or hope and love for that matter) it could be the child in you that needs to be indulged and embraced. Children have a capacity to believe, trust and forgive in a way that only time, pragmatism and pain can wipe away.
As I listened to the song “There can be miracles” by Miriah Carey from the Prince of Egypt movie, I heard the words and was moved, recognizing that many would find them cheesy. I had a twinge of embarrassment and then realized how much I enjoyed that moment of connection to that little bit of encouragement. How much I enjoyed myself and life, how for a moment I swam in the sea of hope and had myself drenched in the faith of the moment. It was only a moment but I loved basking in it and I realized how much I would have lost if I didn’t allow my heart to be touched by those words. How many people miss out on wonderful heart moments because so many experiences are too “child-like” for them? As a child I longed to be an adult. I pretended to be all of those characters that I saw in the movies and television shows. I smoked my candy cigarettes and pretended to drive in my bed, longing for the autonomy and intrigue that came with adulthood. I look back now as an adult and find myself longing for the hope, fantasy, security and dreams that come with youth. I love that corny can move my heart. It feels like a part of me gets touched that is so essential and so underused. It is like when you do a new physical exercise and feel the soreness of a muscle you didn’t know existed. All of a sudden you are aware of a muscle that clearly doesn’t get worked but must have some function. Part of life is all about discovering untouched parts of ourselves and watching them come to life. Let your guard down, let go of critique and enjoy some pure simple moments…seeing it as a child would…
As I listened to the song “There can be miracles” by Miriah Carey from the Prince of Egypt movie, I heard the words and was moved, recognizing that many would find them cheesy. I had a twinge of embarrassment and then realized how much I enjoyed that moment of connection to that little bit of encouragement. How much I enjoyed myself and life, how for a moment I swam in the sea of hope and had myself drenched in the faith of the moment. It was only a moment but I loved basking in it and I realized how much I would have lost if I didn’t allow my heart to be touched by those words. How many people miss out on wonderful heart moments because so many experiences are too “child-like” for them? As a child I longed to be an adult. I pretended to be all of those characters that I saw in the movies and television shows. I smoked my candy cigarettes and pretended to drive in my bed, longing for the autonomy and intrigue that came with adulthood. I look back now as an adult and find myself longing for the hope, fantasy, security and dreams that come with youth. I love that corny can move my heart. It feels like a part of me gets touched that is so essential and so underused. It is like when you do a new physical exercise and feel the soreness of a muscle you didn’t know existed. All of a sudden you are aware of a muscle that clearly doesn’t get worked but must have some function. Part of life is all about discovering untouched parts of ourselves and watching them come to life. Let your guard down, let go of critique and enjoy some pure simple moments…seeing it as a child would…