I ran into another wonderful lady at work last week.  She was buying a crazy, colorful outfit made up of scarves and shirts and skirts and jewelry that were all made up of vibrant, vivid hues.  I smiled and commented on her “happy” and out loud outfit.  She informed me that she was giving a talk to a group of women and was basing it on the quote from Alice in Wonderland where the Mad Hatter tells Alice that she has lost her “muchness”.  “You were much muchier before,” he says.

Muchness.  Just the word makes me grin.  As we talked more about her presentation, she told me the direction that she was going with it.  How that over time we lose our muchness as Alice did as we get older.  The things we were passionate about take a back seat.  The childlike wonder seems to disappear.  Our dreams are forgotten or put aside for more “necessary” things.  And somehow we settle into a duller existence of living less than.  We were much muchier before.

Why does this happen?  So many reasons.  Fear, disappointment, struggle, hurt.  Things that clawed at the muchness we possessed as children.  Responsibility, pressures, daily routine.  They are all factors in stealing our muchness in the realities of life.

But what if….what if it didn’t have to be that way?  What if we could get back our muchness and be muchier again?  What if that was God’s plan for us all along and we join with Him to renew it in us?

Jesus said we are to come to Him like children.  Trusting, leaning in, loving, in awe of all He is and does.  Hero worship to the Nth degree.  Muchness in our love for Him.

He wants us to come back to our “first love” of Him.  He loves our devotion and service and obedience.  But He wants our childlike, first love, passionate hearts back.  Muchness in our adoration of Him.

He calls us to live the “abundant life” that He offers.  It’s full and vibrant and exciting and anything but dull.  Even in difficult times, He is doing something amazing.  How can we not be motivated and excited to see what comes next?  Muchness in our thrill of Him and His ever-at-work hands.

The two things He asks of us?  To love God and love others.  Love destroys fear and fear is what robs our muchness.  So as we love freely and passionately and purposely, we are “much muchier”.  Muchness in our care of and giving to others.

Muchness seems to breed muchness.  Living fully in one area of life doesn’t tend to stay in just that one spot.  It bleeds over into all other facets.  Life and love lived out loud feeds on itself.  And from what I hear it can be contagious.

Let’s allow ourselves to be much muchier.   And let’s spread the joy of muchness to each person we meet today…

Luke 18:16-17 – But jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Revelation 2:3-4 – You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Luke 10:27 – He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”