KIDS!

Last weekend I made a pilgrimage to the Athens of the North, Edinburgh (“Embra” to locals; known in times past as “Dunedin” [Dùn Èideann = fort of Eidyn]), where I was meeting a good friend from my Dallas days, a fellow-Indian, and a fellow-physician, who was visiting the U.K. on business.

Last weekend also marked the beginning of the Edinburgh International Festival. Which meant one thing—crowds! And more crowds!

We milled through the millions, mulled over the possibility of doing something else, and then, being the malleable minds that we were, gritted our maxillae, and decided to make the best of it. It was good exercise, walking all around town, I admit, catching the odd performer of mellifluous bagpipe music (an oxymoron?) along the way. We had no agenda. No plan. No goal. It was nice being “kids” again.

We hit pot gold, though, when we came upon a street of half-a-dozen used bookstores. Needless to say, we also spent pots of gold there, pillaging and plundering, mollified finally that there was some benefit, beyond fellowship, in having made the expedition to yon marvellous city.

Ye olde castle? Not us. Other miscellaneous historical concoctions of architecture and slices of art there were aplenty. Nor for us. We were kids again. Browsing … and buying. Books = Bliss!

We did what we wanted. No more. No less. That night we even ate like kids: Chocolates, sodas, two bananas, and half a bag of spicy potato chips, apiece! Considering that what I usually consume for dinner is JIF, this was a balanced diet. Seriously! (Never trust two doctors together, behaving like kids!).

Oh, and by yon bonnie banks and braes of Loch Lomond, we drove. (Just because we wanted to—kids!) Pretty spot. Lots of water. And people. We took the high road and headed back to town and to remain close to the bookstores! Kids!

I thought about life as a kid on my drive back to Aberdeen. Care-less. Concern-less. Complaint-less. A far cry from the tumults and turbulences of adult life.

But should it be so different? Aren’t we still kids? Children of the Almighty? Heirs with Christ? Begotten of the Spirit? Indeed, we are, those who have placed their trust in Christ as their only God and Savior.

But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right
to become children of God,
even to those
who believe in His name.
John 1:12

And, if children, well, then we can surely be care-, concern-, and complaint-free, can’t we?

Look at the birds of the air,
that they do not sow,
nor reap nor gather into barns,
and your heavenly
Father feeds them.
Are you not worth
much more than they?
And who of you
by being worried
can add an hour to his life? …
for your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things.
Matthew 6:26–28, 32

If you … know
how to give good gifts
to your children,
how much more
will your Father who is in heaven
give what is good
to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:11

... for the Father Himself loves you.
John 16:27

… we are children of God,
and if children, heirs also,
and fellow heirs with Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him
so that we may also
be glorified with Him.
For I consider that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:15–18

Care-less! Concern-less! Complaint-less! Just … kids!

And don’t forget …

Therefore
be imitators of God,
as beloved children.
Ephesians 5:1