Obsolete Amusement

I     was once 10 years old,

I do not mean to blow your mind, but I was. There was a time in my life when girls were fourth after toys, movies and pizza (I actually turned a girl down for a movie and pizza at 10, but that's another story :) ) But there was a time when I was content to move about my Power Ranger and X-Men figurines, enacting epic battles and having awesome adventures in the 'world' of my bedroom.


I'll never forget though, the day around the age of 12 when my brother observed one of these 'epics' and asked me: "So, your still playing with toys?",
"Yeah", I said.
"Well, you'll grow out of it" he said, "it will happen".


And amazingly enough, as time would have it, I did. I spent less and less time assembling my Ninja MegaZord and I cared less about from whom my X-Men would save the 'world' next, until (and I am not even sure when) I stopped playing with them all together.


I did not have a word for it then, but now I would call it 'maturing' or 'maturity'. I began to give up time with my toys to make time for greater things. I had to give up saving the 'world' of my bedroom so that I could begin having adventures in the the actual world outside of it. Toys could not satisfy the 'epic' need growing inside me.


" They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves"
- Jeremiah 2:5



"Still Playing With Toys?"


It becomes obvious children never wrote the dictionary when you look up the word 'toy'. If you ever did, you would come upon these words in Webster's: 'obsolete', 'trifle', 'bauble', 'amusing act' and 'diversion'.


When my older brother, Ruben (then around 20), began the now infamous interrogation, it is clear we operated from two different frames of reference. I was having a ball, enthralled in my 'make-believe' battles and rescue missions but he likely saw nothing more than a big mess on the floor and a kid making sound effects with his mouth--this was now 'worthless' to him because he had gotten a view of what was out there.


I wonder if that is how God sees some of us today, running about in our PJs, playing with things that are interesting but essentially 'obsolete', fun but nothing more than 'diversions', important to us but 'worthless' to him. Idols.


"Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them." 
-Jonah 2:8


If I  ever had the chance to share my life with you, you would know that so many times I carried my 'toys' in a suitcase wherever I went, but I believe he is maturing not only me but many of us to the point where we may, thankfully (Hallelujah!) forget where they are.


Up until a few hours ago, I had believed my problem in this life was with people ("I don't need anybody"--LIE), and I made 'idols' out of relationships: "If I could just be with this group"or "look this way" I thought, "things would be wonderful" but God was not content with my "make-believe". For he wishes to give me the experience of  a real love, a true adventure and mission that begins outside of the play room.


Unfortunately, for these 'toys' we do not always "grow out of it" naturally -- but we can, by His grace,  make the choice to and He will help us do it.


For as it is written friends:
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up"
-James 4:10


He knows the plans He has for us and He wants more for us than to play 'pretend'.


In Him,
Jean-Marc