Sitting beside the pool during Family Camp at the Potomac Park gave opportunity to be a listener and an observer. Listening to children screaming out to mom or dad to throw them up into the air and hitting the water with a big splash, and begging to be thrown just 'one more time.' Or the ones calling out; 'Watch me.'  I love seeing the grandparents enjoying how special their grandchildren are and giving them all their time.  And then, the children just playing together daring each to dive for some object thrown into the deep part of the pool or the game ‘Marco Polo’.   That game is only fun for those playing but so annoying for those who want to enjoy the moment and relax. 

     Not intending to eaves drop, I was privy to a conversation between a boy and girl about 11 years old.  “Are we still dating?” was his question; her response, “I guess so.”  Of course the humor of the moment was cute to me but serious to them. I knew what they didn’t; they weren’t mature enough to be taking about ‘dating’ and I’m equally sure his Dad wouldn’t have given him the car to go on a date.   Hopefully, they will mature to a place of knowing what true love is.

     Paul wrote; “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” 1 Corinthians 13:11.  Looking up the word maturity on the internet I found this definition: Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate how a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctive, and is not determined by one's age.  Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act appropriately, according to the situation and the culture of the society one lives in.   

     How much better life would be for us if we could know we acted in a mature manner when called for; even better if we were more mature within the Body of Christ.  Paul dealt with this when writing to the Philippians. He knew he wasn’t perfect in his faith, but he also knew he wasn’t going to remain where he was in his faith.  He pressed on: ^“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you” Phil 3:12-15.

My cousin Melody's three year old grandson, Finn, was sitting in the time-out chair.  While there, his mother heard him say to his sister, Elle, "Next time when I say something that's not nice to you, DO NOT TELL MOMMY."

We all have had that experience where it seemed mother had 'eyes in the back of her head' or 'supersonic hearing.'  Then the dreaded words "What are you doing?" created for us a moment of lie or hide.  A rare individual might call out and declare; "I'm playing when I should be working" or "I just hit my brother/sister" or "I'm going through your purse looking for loose change." Mostly, if we say anything, the answer would be, "I'm not doing anything."

     Adam and Eve sewed fig-leaves together to hid their shame, then hid from God when they heard Him walking in the garden.  The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3 ASV) We cannot hide from God.  

I always knew, no matter what I did, there is an 'all seeing eye' watching.  We can hide things from our earthly parents but not from God.  Now that my children are adults, sometimes they share their childhood 'naughty' moments because they know the statute of limitations has expired.

     My brother went through a phase of too many speeding tickets and one accident while in High School.  Dad and Mom knew about the accident but not the tickets.  In the process of signing with a new insurance company they discovered they would have to pay a large premium because of Michael's driving record, which they chose not to pay.  He lost his privilege to drive for a year and I had his car for that year.  While this was difficult for Michael, he learned to slow down and be a better driver.  

     There is not escaping the fact that God sees all, but "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9 ASV).  How different the year without a car might have been for Michael had my parents known he was getting too many speeding tickets.  It would have been better had he sat in the "preverbal time-out chair" a few times.  One thing I have learned in all these years, we might as well tell God and confess if we need to, He already knows