Childlike: A Lesson From Jenna Rink

I just finished watching "13 Going on 30" tonight and I forgot how much I enjoy that movie, regardless of how cheesy it is. Being 30 now, its a bit nostalgic to watch-looking back at all the years before where I was wondering what 30 would feel and be like! Haha! Never expected the reality I have now, but its not so bad.

You may be wondering what the heck a movie about a 13 year old girl waking up as a 30 year old woman has anything to do with being childlike or where I'm going with this but hold tight. **If you haven't seen it yet, its past due and I'm sharing spoilers.

After working in Hollywood for the last 10 years and being a girl from the midwest I can attest that life is hard, we get lost sometimes and what we want and hope for isn't always what's best for us or what we actually end up really wanting. I loved my life in LA and wouldn't trade it for the world! Much like the character in this film, I've outgrown some of the things I thought I once wanted and I'm realizing what's truly important to me.

Jenna reverts back to wanting to be childlike again and this movie makes me feel the same way.

I believe this is an important lesson for all of us to remember and reflect on. Not just as humans but as christians too. The feeling I get while watching this movie is one of the many reasons I've always loved film. If done correctly, no matter how quirky, movies can provoke feelings that have been dormant.

God also tells us throughout scripture to be childlike and to have childlike faith. Why? I believe its because as we get older we start to get... tainted, calloused and our hearts can become hardened. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean we become horrible, grumpy people. It could mean we struggle to have the faith we once had in God and in people. It could mean we forget to have hope and instead are always living in fear. It could mean we have a negative, glass half empty mindset instead of a courageous and brave mindset.

Children have hope! They have joy, are kind without reserve, don't overthink things, take chances and do things that make us adults nervous wrecks without a second thought! Haha

I don't know if this post will make ANY sense to anyone else, it is super late and I had one of my urges to write this but I hope in some weird way that it has encouraged you to think about being childlike again.

Is the life you're living one you really want? Are you wanting to have more faith, courage, hope, joy? Maybe try to find something to watch or do that brings back the inner child in you. Have you gotten the things you thought you always wanted only to discover its not actually what you want? If that's the case, that's okay too! God can turn anything around for us! We just need to remember to have that excitement that anything is possible and childlike faith again.

Jenna Rink went about her new life at 30 kind of like a child actually and often she was ridiculed for it but she didn't seem to be bothered by it! And yes if you are 13, you are a child! haha When faced with bad news or an awkward situation she rose above, got excited, had faith, changed her ways and didn't let everything be so serious all the time which is what we forget to do. So, to wrap this up, I think we could all take a lesson from Jenna Rink. Being on edge, serious, nervous, doubtful and grumpy all the time is exhausting and not really an attitude of faith. I'm not saying to pretend you don't have problems but shift your attitude. This movie sure helped me as silly as that sounds and gave me the desire to want to be silly and have crazy hope again to believe anything is possible and life doesn't have to be so serious all the time!

Well here's to being 30, flirty and thriving! Hope this was a fun read and encouraged you to maybe find something to help bring out the child in you!

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