Spiritual Childhood and "Picky Up"

                                                                                                                              by  Sr. Caterina de Siena
I have read the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul, several times and I frankly have to admit that I just didn’t “get her”.  I kept thinking to myself, “What made her such a great saint?” because I simply didn’t see it in her writings.  I was reading about her insights into spiritual childhood from the perspective of an “old soul.”  As a child, I was always the responsible one, the mature one, so Therese’s spiritual vantage point of being a “child” completely eluded me.
It was through the eyes of my two year old grandson that I gained new vision into Therese’s spiritual childhood .  He has taught me so many beautiful lessons about being “child-like”.  We were playing in the park one day and after running, climbing slides and swinging, we ended our playtime with a peaceful walk through the park.  There is nothing like that little hand that reaches up to grasp yours as we walked together!  We spotted a buck in the woods and followed closely behind.  Where the buck went; we went.
At one point my “little man” stopped dead in his tracks; lifted his arms to the sky and said to me, “Picky up.”  Of course, I did as commanded because I love snuggling with him and peering into that beautiful face.  It makes it easier to plant several kisses on his precious cheeks and to see his smile up close.  We finally headed for home after the buck tired of us following him.
As I was driving home that night, it came to me.  I finally get St. Therese!!  It was through my grandson that I gleaned precious insights into spiritual childhood that St. Therese was trying to teach me.  One, as my little man got too tired to continue, he stopped and asked to be picked up.  A child knows their limits and God wants me to know my limits, too.  When I simply cannot go on due to fatigue or trying to handle things on my own, God is ready, willing and able to “carry me” – I simply have to ask.
Next, my little man knew that by asking, I would meet his need.  God knows our needs and when asked, He delights in His children as they call upon Him.
Finally, my grandson wanted to see things from my up high perspective, not from the ground level where he dwells.  St. Therese mentions that while looking upon the Cross, Jesus brings her up to his eye level as though she rode an elevator.  What a blessing it is to see things from God’s perspective and not the limited view that we have of things.  God’s perspective always makes things clearer for us to see as if through a pristinely clean glass window.
Now, I can joyfully exclaim that I “get” St. Therese and her spiritual childhood and why she was made a doctor of the Church!  Therese was the master of spiritual childhood and invites all of us to learn from her.  Spiritual childhood is all about total reliance upon God to meet our needs which are granted from the perspective of the One who loves us more than we will ever know.
I am grateful to St. Therese and my little man who taught me the profound truths of spiritual childhood and the art of me asking God to “picky up.”