Resignation

I,  _____________________,  am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.  I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four-star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&M's are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple.  When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.  All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair.  That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible.

I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again.  I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So . . .  here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements.  I am officially resigning from adulthood.  And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, 'cause . . . . . .  "Tag! You're it!"

At that time the disciples came to Yahshua and ask,  "Who is the greatest in the reign of Yahweh?"  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the reign of Yahweh.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the reign of Yahweh."  Matthew 18:1-4

(reprinted with permission from livingtheway.org)

A READERS RESPONSE

I was surprised by this latest message. Isn't it sad that people find no joy in being an adult? Can't we be sweet, gentle and kind and enjoy each day in our Lord and take on our precious responsibilities?

OUR REPLY

The point of this weeks message was that too many times adults get caught up in the cares and unimportant parts of life, and forget to enjoy each and every moment which Yahweh has blessed us with.  Just as a child is innocent, we are not to dwell on the evils of the world, but rather the righteousness of Yahweh.  A child does not worry about tomorrow.  Likewise, if through prayer, we leave our cares in the hands of our heavenly Father, we too can experience peace.

So many become consumed by earthly cares, and the result is a life without joy or meaning.  It is a part of Yahweh's plan for our lives that we should have responsibility and these responsibilities are in part, what makes life meaningful and worthwhile.  The message for this week is not saying that we should forget about our responsibilities, for the scriptures tell us that "Even a child is know by his actions, by whether his conduct be pure and right".  As the scripture at the end of this weeks message brings to light,  we are to be as little children.  This means dropping not responsibility, but rather the many complications of life that we tend to drag behind us.  It is these complications which in the long run, weigh us down, and make life less enjoyable.

Ecclesiastes 2:24,25 says,  "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.  This too I see is from the hand of Yahweh, for without him who can eat or find enjoyment."  So many times we can get caught up in the rat-race of life, where we are only doing our responsibilities because we have to, and not because we enjoy them.  We do not find any satisfaction in what we do because we do not truly enjoy doing it.

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of Yahweh."  (Ec. 3:12,13)  This is the way it is for a child... they do their responsibilities and enjoy what they do without worrying about what comes next.

"Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life Yahweh has given him--for this is his lot."  (Ec. 5:18)

To become so caught up in worldly toil that we do not enjoy what we are doing is a sin.  "I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:  Yahweh gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but Yahweh does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead.  This is meaningless, a grevious evil.  A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.  It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness it's name is shrouded.  Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than that man--even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity..."  (Eccl. 6:1-6)

OUR READER RESPONDS ONCE MORE

All that you say is very true and good. My problem with the message was that it was very worldly. I have copied a sample passage from it below:

"  So . . .  here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements.  I am officially resigning from adulthood.  And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, 'cause . . . . . . "Tag! You're it!"  "

This is just the example I meant. That adults should never give up their responsibilites or be encouraged to. This is why there are so many failed marriages in our society, why mothers refuse to care properly for their children, prefering rather to go out to clubs, etc. And why some fathers desert their families. If you just gave the message that you wrote below it would have been far better. It was excellent. Perhaps you could send it out next week, it was perfect.

Blessings to you and yours. I hope I did not disturb you with my thoughts. I wish only the best for you all. Forgive me If I've annoyed you.

CONCLUSION

We completely agree that Yahweh's followers should never give up their responsibilities.  However, it seems as though the most recent weekly message has been taken two different ways.

From our reader's perspective, car-keys, credit card bills and taxes are responsibilities, and in a sense of the word, this is true.  However, from our perspective, we are viewing them more as "complexities" that man has created for himself.   Virtually everyone has a car, a checking account, credit cards, and taxes.  However, these are not the responsibilities that folks are dropping.  No one is going to just hand over their keys, and their checkbook for somebody else to use, nor are most folks going to quit paying their taxes and credit card bills either.  (If they do, they lose their home, or whatever else as payment).

In our society, the responsibilities that are being ignored are family, child training, accountibility, modesty, purity, and all the many other commands that Yahweh has given to us throughout the scriptures.   In the many horrible cases in our society where parents could care less about, and are deserting their families, is it their keys, checkbook, and credit cards that are left behind?  Sadly, the answer is "NO".  To the contrary, it is these very things that are causing the divorce, crime, and general care-less attitude about Yahweh's principles of morality.  In short, we are talking about voluntary simplicity to get more out of life.

To all of our readers: please do not worry about annoying us with your communication.  So many just stay quiet and cannot be made to say what is on their minds.  We appreciate openness and conscientious concern.  Yahweh's followers are supposed to communicate with each other in order to resolve such matters and without this communication, brethern cannot dwell together in unity.  If any of our other readers have farther thoughts on this subject, we would enjoy hearing them as well.