A Little Bit of Pixie Dust

Peter Pan: This won’t do. What’s the matter with you? All it takes is faith and trust. Oh! And something I forgot. Dust!

Wendy , John: Dust?

Michael: Dust?

Peter Pan: Yep, just a little bit of pixie dust. 

This past month we worked at Adulam, located in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. My biggest desire going into this ministry was to have some fun and get a lot of use out of the soccer ball I bought in Chile.

As we drove up to our new home I laughed at the soccer field in our backyard. Classic Jesus. We stepped out and looked around at the swampy campground we would be living in. Complete with a huge fire pit, an outdoor dining hall and the cutest kids I had ever seen, I knew it would be a good month.

Adulam is a refugee for singles and families affected by drug addiction. Whether recovering addicts, mothers who have been abandoned by their husbands, or youths trying to forge a better life for themselves, Adulam is a place of hope. 

I hear God say one thing as I step onto the grass, breathing in the fresh air and gazing up at the tall pines surrounding the perimeter “learn to be a kid again.” And what better way to learn than from the experts themselves?

We spent our days living among the people that call this place home. We helped cook, cleaned the dishes, taught English, lead worship nights, celebrated the women, played soccer, and loved on the people as much as possible. When we weren’t working, I was relearning how to have childlike faith. Reprogramming my brain and what the world has told me about what a real woman should look like, what an adult should look like, or even what a Christian should look like. 

I learned that I’m a great performer, so good I had managed to fool myself. I truly believed I didn’t need improving, didn’t have a heart problem, didn’t require inner healing. The truth is, I care what people think. I change the way I act based on who is watching. I want to please others, even when it means forfeiting my values and myself. I see what perfection is supposed to look like and I strive to meet those ridiculous and impossible standards, so the world will love me, accept me and count me worthy. 

During this month God revealed that I have been trapped for a long time, high up in a room with one window. Bolted shut, the window only served in providing a clouded reflection of who I am according to society. A reflection that is tainted by the shallow, cynical, broken world we live in. I could see a glimpse of the outside, could see God calling me to fly, but I couldn’t seem to break that barrier, to let go of the worlds opinion of me. To demolish the window so nothing could stand between me and my God. 

Until now.

 

Throughout this month I’ve experienced what it means to be a kid again. I played in my bare feet until long after the sun had gone down and dinner was ready to eat. I poked at each roley poley bug until they had all closed up in my hands. I ate every piece of chocolate I could get my hands on, and I laughed as loud as a foghorn.

So what does it mean to have childlike faith?

To be content sitting in His presence. Not asking for anything or sighing with impatience, only enjoying being near Him.

To ask audaciously for what you want, impossible is not in your vocabulary.  

To not be afraid of looking stupid. No matter how much you may lack in talent, sometimes heart is all you need. 

To cry out to him as the ultimate comforter for your pain. 

To always look to Him for direction and wisdom. There are no stupid questions.  

To stop whatever you are doing for a game of soccer. The laundry will get done. The bills will get paid. The movie will still be there. What matters is the HERE and NOW. 

Try not to be afraid of getting dirty, life is much more fun that way. Jump in, don’t worry about your clothes or your hair, make ugly faces that surprise people and give them laughter. When you see a tree that looks as if it touches the clouds, climb it. When the rain covers the ground in mud and puddles, run as fast as you can, feel the squish under your toes and try not to fall. Dance like you have ants in your undies, WHENEVER you feel like it.

And most importantly, LOVE. Without expectations, requirements, or limitations…

Love without fear. 

Forget who might be watching, there’s only ONE in your audience that truly matters. You see God has already given you all you need. He’s tapping on the window, Hes leading the way. The rest is up to you, just a little faith and a little trust. 

Oh and something I forgot! A little fun, a little “pixie dust.”

 

I hope you enjoy this peak of the place that brought me back to Neverland.