Coming to Completion

There is a quote I often think of from The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori.

"Let us start with one very simple reflection: the child, unlike the adult, is not on his way to death. He is on his way to life. His work is to fashion a man in the fullness of his strength. By the time the adult exists, the child has vanished. So the whole life of the child is an advance toward perfection, toward a greater completeness. From this we may infer that the child will enjoy doing the work needed to complete himself. The child's life is one in which work-the doing of one's duty-begets joy and happiness. For adults, the daily round is more often depressing."

While I agree with many of Montessori's theories, I have to say this is one theory I do disagree with, at least in part. I love the description of a child enjoying the work needed to complete himself. It is what I believe is true for everyone if they choose it to be so. If a child is on his way to life then, presumably, we as adults are in life, in the middle of experiencing a full life. While she says that for adults the daily round is more often depressing, well I guess that's true for many of us. But as a believer in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I know that I am not on my way to death. There are two scriptures here that I believe are appropriate.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV) "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV) "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,"

This blog is not intended to be an exegesis on life through Christ. I simply wanted to make the point that we CAN choose life and that we are being constantly brought to completion. And for me, that means continuing to grow in knowledge and grace...to gain spiritual perspective...to have deeper, more intimate relationships...to become more authentic...to start taking action on what I've learned. I want to continue to grow like a child grows, absorbing information from all around me, especially through experiences and through talking with others. Some of the things I plan to investigate are as follows:

Poverty - where do I fit in the fight against it?

Community - how do I draw a community into my life?

Salt & Light - how do I become a seasoning and a source of life in my community?

Restoration - how can I become involved in the restoration of the inner city?

Fear - how much of my life's decisions and reactions are based solely on fear and not on reality?

Growth - where do I see spiritual growth in my own life?

Beauty - how can I draw out the beauty in life and give it to others?

Stewardship of the Earth - how can I become a more responsible steward of Earth?

Racism - what is my part in breaking the patterns of racism in my life and in my country?

Intimacy - how will I become more intimate in my relationship with God and with others?

Spiritual Depravity - what should I do when I encounter indivuals starved for spiritual growth? How will I fight spiritual depravity in own life?

Depression - what can I do to combat periods of depression?

Motherhood - how can I pass on the truths I learn to my children, so that they may grow spiritually as well?

Marriage - I think this topic speaks for itself.

The list goes on and on. I would love to be in intelligent conversation with anyone willing to join me in my journey. I promise now that I will treat every person with dignity and respect in my conversations and I promise to be authentic, always speaking honestly and with love. Welcome to my blog.