In the last blog I talked about "listening to the young." One friend sent me a message with a different angle that is so good that I asked her if I could quote her. She said yes, so here it is...

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I think in talking about the "young" maybe they're not just talking about age. What about newly born-again or young Christians? How easy it could be to just blow them off when we are "seasoned" Christians (I've got 10 years on my side now... woohoo!)... how could a "milk drinker" know more than those of us who are beyond that? I learn so much from brand new Christians. One new Christian sent me this message today in regards to writing her testimony, "Praise God for allowing the Holy Spirit to come into me and just direct me to do this in such a surprisingly clear way. I cried and laughed at the same time in awe and praise of the great glory and the joy I have experienced doing it." Sometimes the seasoned person loses this awe somewhere along the way, sometimes the ideas go with it.
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This is right-on. It's crazy because Lane and I were talking about "Blessed are the pure in heart" yesterday. He has a good definition of "pure in heart" which is "live from an undivided center." The pure in heart doesn't have a divided attention. And I think new Christians often reflect. And old Christians can too, but it takes focus, passion, discipline and love. Mostly love.

Do you know someone who messes-up lots of little things because they are so distracted by THE BIG THING? Someone who "doesn't catch on to obvious church rules" because they are so in love with Jesus?
I think this is "pure in heart."

(shameless plug: come to A|Zero if you live in Tulsa on November 5 to see our video teaching on the Beatitude. And maybe we'll get the video online soon after that.)