Faith, childhood, adulthood and loss of innocence

[springbreeze]

Dear friends

Just lately and I am not sure why I have gone down this path, but I find myself mourning over the loss of my childhood innocence.

I look at my child and see how close to an angel she is. That there is no guile, nothing complex about her, such simplicity and this is true of all children. She accepts faith and Jesus with such ease and never questions it. She prays and wholely believes without analysis nor complex talk/intellectualism of conversation, there is no second thought, no doubt, no worry or fretting, just total acceptance and faith. Infact she worries over nothing and lives as she is in the day, she doesn’t think about tomorrow at all, she seems happy and content in her day and in what is happening presently.

I look at her and am saddened at how stupid adults are (they make things far too complex) that although we cannot remain as chidlren forever and we must grow and mature that does not mean we should lose our innocence, in this we should remain small like children. The world and what people do with it chip away at our minds and hearts and we become complex creatures which is against what humanity should be, we should be simple in heart and mind retaining our innocence.

I truly mourn the loss of innocence and it is taking everything in me to move back towards innocence, to stamp on sin in Christ Jesus.

We have much to learn from children, I think childhood is a truly sacred phase of life. (I know all human life is sacred…but there is something extremely precious about childhood) I would give anything to have that simple faith of a child and am going to strive for it with all my heart…All of the intellectualism and knowledge cannot lead anyone to faith, it is much simpler than this, it is the simplicity of heart that opens to God’s gifts of faith and grace that leads to faith and no amount of intellect will ever lead to faith.

What are your thoughts on childhood and/or loss of innocence and faith?

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[jrabs]

I think we need to work and pray to regain that innocence. It is possible as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

As problems and trials threaten us daily, we can chose to worry or set all trust in God and have faith that He will take care of us.

It is through much prayer that I have been able to cast my cares and trust that I am where God wants me to be. Every once in a while, I start worrying about the future and what if this and what about that…but then I stop and regroup and realize that I shall live for today with all the trust I need for today.

I am farrrr happier and have more peace living like that - not always second guessing things and worrying where I don’t need to.
You can achieve this too.

 

[NightRider]

Oh, Springbreeze, I totally know how you feel when you look at your daughter in her innocence. I felt the same way when my son was very young, how open-hearted he was and full of God’s love. It was when my son was so wee that I started remembering what happened to me as a child, and that is when I started to mourn my lost innocence as a child in earnest. I experienced abuse very, very early on in life, including being forcibly sodomized when I was only five years old. I was molested again by a stranger when I was about nine. There were other kinds of abuse as well. For me, it was very hard to be a child and I longed for adulthood. I was very, very religious because faith was my only hope in life. Somehow I knew that even though I was suffering the Lord and the Blessed Mother loved me unconditionally and I hung onto that until I left home. It took me getting married and pregnant before I was able to feel safe enough to start remembering some of what had happened to me when I was so very, very young.

It took thirteen years for me to remember everything. I wept all that time and still weep as I still suffer from what had been done. Yet, I am so much better now than I ever have been, as the Lord has been loving me into healing and into sharing my experiences with other women and men who suffer from the same things. If I didn’t have my faith, if I didn’t have the Church, I don’t believe I would have survived. I think I would have died by my own hand.

So when I am around children now I show them nothing but love and compassion, because so often in their little hearts they are so all alone. I remember how I felt when no one knew or understood my suffering. Our little ones need to be loved and especially, respected! for they have very deep feelings that they will carry with them into adulthood. We adults are entrusted to protect them and allow them to have their childhoods, not expecting them to be little adults instead of children.

Oh Lord, please protect the innocence of wee children! Amen.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Yes, It’s sad. When you confess, you receive a brand new soul. After absolution. You are once again in that state of innocence. But you still have vices to overcome, to remain so. That’s the sad lot for me and all.
Your baptised child is a Saint. Never committed a sin. Would go straight to Heaven if she died now. Did you think of that.
A little story to comfort all us sinners.
When St Margaret Mary was receiving revelations about the Sacred Heart devotion. She told her confessor. To prove it was true her confessor asked her to ask our Lord what the confessors last mortal sin was. She did so. And when the confessor questioned her she replied," our Lord said He doesn’t remember". This is how it is with God. When He forgives, He forgets. So we can get back that childhood innocence in the eyes of God if we want.
A little quote from the good book for us sinners.
Isaiah, chapter 1

Chapter
Book

18: "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

St.Therese the Little Flower had that down I know how you feel I long and strive for that spiritual childhood ask God for those graces and try not to squander them.The troubles in the world and evil seems to suffocate you.I like to contemplate children and their simple love and faith and what helps me to appreciate Gods wonders I look at his creation.I have a chihuahua that gave birth to five puppies two days ago The children and I were in awe, we were impressed by the mothering Minnie the chihuahua mom gave her young.God put it in her what to do to protect and care for her little ones and she did it, no road blocks.Children and the majesty of Gods creation gets me closer to that spirituality than anything else.I guess I need to live on a farm next to a playground:nope: God Bless