Matthew 18:3

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

There are so many opportunities to lose faith in the course of our lives. We can be pulled away from the beliefs that we harbored so stridently in our youths. The world is a cynical place, full of people espousing subjective truths, riddled with those who think that the only realities are the ones that can be proven with earthly evidence. We don't feel this way as children. As children, we are taught by our parents to believe in what those wiser and more numbered have deduced over the centuries. In fact, this is the very doorway to faith; traditions exist so that those who know little can respect the beliefs and lives of those who knew more.

We are given templates in our parents and our extended families. As children we must put our complete trust and faith in these people. Without them, we wouldn't eat or survive. And through this faith, we gain the world itself. Why do we lose this as we transition into adulthood? Is it because we think that we can deduce for ourselves what has already been explained? Or are the many tribulations and disappointments of life too numerous for us to overcome with our optimism and beliefs intact? There are as many chances to lose faith as there are seconds in a day. Every outcome we can see as an independent trial whose providence is controlled only by randomness. Perhaps the more times these trials are cast against us, the easier it is to believe this. It's truly more difficult to show the humility of a child, the continued trust in those who guide him.

In this way, we gain the kingdom of heaven through our continued belief. Like children who fall from bikes with scraped knees only to pick themselves up and try again, over and over, we must persevere. We must show unconditional love to those who support us, those who in fact give us life. As children, our parents fill this role. We can see no further than what is in front of us. As adults, we must pair the ability to see beyond what can be seen with our eyes with that same trust and faith that we showed when the world was much smaller. As our parents did, God knows what's best for us. And if we stumble, we have to let him help us up. Most importantly, we have to keep on the same path, single-mindedly following His lead. Like children.