"God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise." 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT)

When a dear friend first told me that I had childlike mannerisms, I was a little offended. I was already a little self-conscious that I get mistaken for 18 all the time. I was just barely coming to grips with the fact that it was okay that I didn't know what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I don't know what changed in me, but I started to become thankful for my childlike mannerisms. Maybe even joyful. I think it was Jesus who changed that in me. 

We all remember being in junior high. Or maybe we try to block it out of our minds because it was that bad. Junior high is when we start to deeply feel the pressures of fitting in. We change our clothes. We change the way we talk. We try to change our appearances. And what's the end result? "We become like everyone else... We stop being ourselves and start being who we think everyone wants us to be... Instead of becoming the one-of-a-kind original we were destined to be, we settle for a carbon copy of someone else" (Mark Batterson in In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, page 148). 

Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Jesus' standard is a child. No inhibitions. No prejudices. Children are the ones with big, grandiose dreams of becoming a princess, astronaut, puppy, garbage man, Aladdin, or a teacher on any given day. They are unpredictable. And by the world's standards, they are foolish. They are uncivilized. I think that is exactly what God is calling us to be. Growing and maturing in Christ is becoming less self-conscious and more God-conscious. "Part of taking God more seriously is taking yourself less seriously" (Batterson 160). We've got to let the fool out. 

Jesus in no way was civilized. He "touched lepers, healed on the Sabbath, defended adulterers, befriended prostitutes, washed the feet of His disciples, partied with the tax collectors, and regularly offended the" Pharisees (153-154). And as far as I'm concerned, the only "civilized" people in the Bible were the Pharisees. We all know how that turned out. 

We all have dreams in or for our lives. However big or small. Some we may not be willing to admit. By why not? Because people will think we are foolish. One of my dreams is to be able to call myself a surfer. I want to be one of those wrinkly old ladies with long grey hair that gets up early in the morning. Not to do her crossword puzzle, but to go surfing. Some people may say that it's a silly dream - that I'm foolish for having that dream. I've gone surfing a whole two times. And I couldn't even get up the second time (I swear it was because the water was so cold!). I'm not exactly living in a place where I can learn to surf. And I might look really silly trying. But who cares. When I'm in my sixties and I'm out in the water with the blonde, buff, tan twenty-somethings, who's going to be laughing then? Me. I'm going to embrace my childlike mannerisms and laugh to myself. 

Let's not be a church that dresses the same way, says the same things, has interests in the same things. Embrace the unique individual God has created you to be. Be willing to have a dance party in your car. Order that Frappuccino at Starbucks. Ask a question you don't know the answer to. Raise your hand in class even if you aren't 100% sure you have the right answer. Change your career path. Ask her out on a date. Wear the floral print pants, not because people tell you they like them, but because you like them. And most importantly, 

Let the fool out.