Restless The Podcast

Hi this is Steve and as you know the Press On series is produced by Restless the Podcast. Its purpose is to provide a short segment that encourages you to think and consider matters that are life impacting while lifting your spirit at the same. In the gospel of Luke I’m reminded what the writer says about Mary “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The context in this case is the Christmas story in Luke 2. We want you to ponder the important things in life and eternity. 

Recently we created a support page to help cover the cost of podcast which for is 4-5K per year. As you know our visual theme is nautical on our web site so we would like you to consider getting in the boat to help row for a while. So check out our support page and subscribe star and think about jumping in with us. Some content will be produced for fellow rowers but as always if this show has touched you just emails at info@restlespodcast.com and tell us you would like access to all content and we will always make sure you receive it. Consider your self a cheerleader instead. 

The Chicklet Man

Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s while growing up in rural central Maryland my siblings and I discovered and older gentlemen in the neighborhood who we called the Chicklet man. His real name was Mr. Whitaker he boarded at a house adjacent to ours. He was probably in his late 80’s perhaps even early nineties and he was in good health. We first saw him taking walks through out the community on a daily basis. He would stop and begin to talk about whatever was important you. At some point he would pull out his little box of Chicklet gums and offer you one. It was a big seller because every time we’d see him all of us would run out and ask “Mr. Whitaker can we have a Chicklet?”

He would invite us to take walks with him and talk about simple things that kept our attention he never complained he one day when he fell on a slick road he just laughed it off but knew it had hurt. What I remember about him was his simplicity, approachability, time had not soured him, his mind and heart was not harden, and his invitation to walk with him.

 Then one day he was gone.

Years later as I think about him Im reminded of what Jesus said to his disciples in the gospel of Mark 10 about little children.  

He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 

While this story is about children its about you and me us adults whose hearts and minds have been soured and hardened by time. Minds that have already decided how things really thus making it difficult to hear the truth.

There’s much more to this story but for today think about this:

What is about Children and their hearts and minds that compelled Jesus to say: Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”What about you has time soured your mind about is really true is your heart so hard it can not hear the truth. It seems like Jesus’ favorite word was come…are you ready.