The Automaticity of a Child

Disclaimer: I have no children of my own. All of the story that follows is based off of my experience with children through teaching, years of babysitting, and observance of others' children. For those of you with children, please enjoy what you are about to read. …. Or, correct me if I’m wrong. I still have MUCH to learn.

The Automaticity of a Child
I observed something this morning that sure did make me smile.
As I was walking into Thomas Road’s “Main Street” to get to LCA today in the wee hours of the morning, a little kindergarten-aged boy rrrraaaannnn up in front of me and pushed the button for the automatic doors to open. His little face got SO excited that the door automatically opened for him, and even more so, because HE was the one to push the button that was as big as the palm of his hand. The way he lit up at that moment was absolutely precious to say the least. His eagerness for the day excited me, and for a brief moment in time, my mind wandered into thoughts of “oh, to have precious little squirts of my own one day….after all, who doesn’t want an excuse to go through the automatic doors?!” Then, as I continued to walk through the hallways, I thought more about my morning’s adventure and the little one that brought it to me.
I wondered why he was so fascinated by that automatic door….and then it struck me:
He was fascinated because the door is so much like him.
It’s automatic.
Children are automatic in a LOT of ways.
  1. They have automatic energy. – No one says to kids, “Come here, let me show you how to be crazily, bounce-you-off-the-walls energetic.” It’s innate.
  2. They have automatic disorganization. – No one says to kids, “Come here, can you messy up this cleanness a bit?” It just happens.
  3. They have automatic short attention spans. – No one says to kids, “Can you stop sitting still for just one moment and start wandering all over the live-long day?” It gets ‘em every time.
Simply put, children are automatic. They’re solar-powered by day, and battery-charged by night.
But being automatic doesn’t ALWAYS have to be a bad thing, you know.
Children also exhibit TONS of automatically, inherently good traits as well.
Such as,
  1. They have automatic trust. Children trust until other people inadvertently teach them – through hurtful words, actions, or attitudes – to distrust.
  2. They have automatic forgiveness. One minute they’re fussing and arguing with one another, the next moment they’re back to wearing each others’ Silly Bandz BFF charm bracelets. (Ohhhh, there’s an idea I don’t think anyone’s thought of yet! I’m patenting that one…. done and done.)
  3. They have automatic love.  It never ceases to amaze me what kids will do to show you they love you. Some write notes, some draw pictures, some try to give up their snacks under the guise of “I don’t like this kind any way,” some hug, and some just come out and say it, “I LOVE YOU.” In short, some kids would bring the stars down out of Heaven, if they could, for the people they love.
  4. Finally, just like my little friend who pushed the button for the automatic door this morning, children have automatic faith in things bigger than themselves. They don’t struggle to do the work some adults do (i.e. open doors), simply because they have the faith to let something bigger than them handle the job, they are not afraid of what others think of them for doing so, and they’re simply yet completely absorbed and delighted by just sitting back and watching the whole process. Why do you think Jesus instructed us to have child-like faith? Because so many things about children are automatic. As should our faith be.

          If we truly believed everything we said we did about God, His unique plan for our lives, and His goodness toward us, [correction, ahem. – if I truly believed everything I said I did about God, His unique plan for MY life, and His ultimate goodness toward ME] I think I’d be working to open up far less doors in my life. I’d leave the work in His hands more often, and I’d be more-than-delighted to sit back and watch the whole process unfold.

If only my faith could be compared with the automaticity of a child…..

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