I recently received a class-wide email from another mother of a child in my son’s preschool class. She had joined the class for a Thanksgiving celebration and stopped to ask each child what they were most thankful for. Touched by their responses, she wrote us parents to share each child’s answer.
As I prepared to read my son’s response, I admit I was nervous. My son, a vibrant and energetic four-year-old, is no stranger to childish behavior. One moment he might be snuggled quietly in my arms and in another he might be tracking down the communion aisle to dodge a priest’s blessing. Of course, my worries soon dissipated as I read his response; when asked what he was most thankful for, my son answered simply and directly, “God.”
My heart swelled. Faced with “the” moment—the moment when he had the opportunity to attest to his faith—my little wild card did it. He went effortlessly from being wholly childish to being a holy child of God, the kind we Christians are all called to be in Matthew 18: 3-5 when Jesus says, “that unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Of course, this is not the first time such perfect child-like purity—the kind that indicates fluidity to the workings of the Holy Spirit—has come from imperfect places. As a mother, teacher, and general observer of human behavior, I’ve witnessed it numerous times: the car of overly-dramatic teenage girls who, upon seeing a roadside wreck, immediately join together and pray a Hail Mary; the rambunctious child receiving admonishment for disrupting a funeral who later offers the perfect words of consolation to the loved one left behind; the impulsive adult who makes decisions too quickly but who is also the first to provide financial help to a young man out of work.
Consider even the behavior of Saint Peter. The same apostle who cut off a high priest’s servant’s ear and who denied Christ three times was also the one who, when asked by Jesus, “Who do you say I am?” provided the God-directed answer: “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” And not incidentally, it was because of his reception to this direction that Jesus deemed him the “rock” upon which He would build His church.
Whatever the circumstances, such instances where purity clashes with and overcomes sinfulness offers an important reminder for all of us during this Advent season. It reminds us that all fallen people, made in the image and likeness of God, are called to join in the divine life through the redemptive power of Christ. And when we cooperate with this redemption we can experience what Saint Paul meant when he said in Romans 5:20, “where sin increased, grace abounded more.”
Therefore, as we prepare this Advent season for Christ’s coming at Christmas as well as His daily coming into our lives, we should focus on the hope of the Christ child–a hope that does not dwell on our imperfections but celebrates the unmerited gifts we receive in spite of them.
Copyright © 2012, Krissie Allen
Krissie Allen
Krissie Kubiszyn Allen is an attorney, teacher, and Catholic mother of four living in Birmingham, Alabama, where she enjoys writing poetry, short stories and essays. Visit her also at her website, Choosing God.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.