"I'm soooo bored!" Was that you when you were child? My mom wouldn’t let me go far in boredom-land.
Mom's solution was simple.
"Go outside and play!"
And play we did!
Our neighborhood became our amusement park. We rode bicycles until the streetlights came on, opened lemonade stands, climbed trees, dreamed big dreams -- and once, my friend and I decided to dig our own backyard swimming pool.
Unfortunately, my dad wasn't nearly as excited about our 5-foot-by-5-foot masterpiece as we were. Evidently, he preferred grass over mud! Imagine that!
One of my happiest memories was climbing our beautiful Mimosa tree.
To me, it wasn't just a tree.
It was a pirate ship.
A castle.
A fortress.
Its pink blossoms became decorations, and the long seed pods became ingredients for the finest pretend soup ever served.
The funny thing is, every time I see a Mimosa tree today, I'm instantly transported back to those carefree summers.
And it reminds me of something Jesus said: "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
Children notice things.
They imagine.
They wonder.
They trust.
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop climbing "Mimosa trees." We become so busy making a living that we forget to enjoy living.
God didn't create a world filled with breathtaking beauty for us to hurry past it.
Look for a Mimosa tree.
Watch a butterfly.
Listen to a bird sing.
Remember what it felt like to wonder.
We may not climb a Mimosa tree anymore -- but we can still live with the joyful heart of a child. AND we can let our imagination run wild.
Because growing older is inevitable.
Growing dull is optional.
May we never lose that gift.
I’m imagining – maybe my dad -- somewhere in heaven, is laughing about that famous swimming pool we created. And, maybe he'll have a swimming pool there for me and beside it will be groves and groves of Mimosa trees!
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