Childlike and Godly Whimsical

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By Rick Stassi, a Christian husband and father living in Northern California, who likes to live life as God plans. “It is not always easy, but I try and find joy in each of my days.”

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ~ John 1:4,5 (KJV)

I wake up and it is dark. I fall asleep and it is dark. From darkness to darkness I spend a moment in my life, and it is a good day. Each day stands alone under scrutiny as I constantly evaluate, upturning stones. It is my way. There is a picket fence and I have a stick. I run past slats of wood, hitting each. I touch upon each day, and I observe God’s footsteps beside mine. I do not always choose to follow this fence; however, I know God is with me, and I am happy.

God walks a straight path in my life, and I meander. It is like walking in snow with each step visible. My steps are around a tree, over a log, hopping on rocks across a creek. Stopping and wasting a moment, or running to pass up several moments. I see my steps go in several directions. All the way I take twenty steps to God’s one. He is steady and straight. I am always curiously peeking under rocks, poking a stick into a stream or swatting a bush. I am childlike and godly whimsical. I remember these attributes because they are still fresh in me from long ago in my youth, when the paint on the picket fence was fresh. It went on forever. Now, as I smile, I see the fence is shorter, but still I frolic.

I allow myself a childlike demeanor at times, for I am a child in this eternal life. It is not an escape; it is just my godly life. God instills a joy in me and makes my heart His. I am in a perpetual state of joy because I rely on the Lord. I rewind and see so many times of tears and angst, but the joy in me now overcomes. I am lighthearted now, and it is refreshing . . . I found a frog, dallied a bit and fell behind God’s stride. Better catch up!

I skin my knee, lose a tear. God will take care of me. There is so much to do, so many pickets in that fence. I make a choice each day when I awake. I may dangle my feet in the creek a bit more, tarry at the things that pique my curiosity. All is well because God wants me, loves me. I feel secure because I see His footsteps. I even see into His eyes. How warm and inviting they are. This is life, and I choose to find solace in His gait. I choose today that I will smile and laugh and find humor when I stumble. I am responsible – but deep inside I am a child.

I grow up for a moment and I meet my wife. Together we find love and have children. God knits a family together with a single thread of His love. Together my wife and I find Jesus. Somehow it is a natural choice. With my stick I draw in the dirt. Sometimes I draw a circle – round and round just like this world. It is tiring, but I can thankfully look up and see His guardian eyes. They watch me. They command. They protect. I am a body at rest, but Newtonian laws work in my life:

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

This is the world pushing, and if I am not careful I feel the effect. Be gone, world and your travails! The world does not comprehend my life and slinks off. I have a stick and I put it to whimsical use. Tap, tap, tap on a rock. Away from the world I run, into God’s arms.

There is cause and effect in the world. Some think with existential minds and are mired in this thought, running in circles and never looking up. I just drew that circle with my stick, remember? Most certainly there will be distraction. It will not hold my attention long, for I am at rest and will always have hope. Whimsically I walk. But to be sure: I am serious deep down. I appreciate that God gave me grace – a gift I did not deserve. I have it and now my heart is joyful. So I grab my stick and continue on, for I must hit each picket. I will wade through the cool water of a stream, and as I look up, there is God. His eyes are smiling at His child.