Every so often I get the most tantalizing awareness of the life I’m living. Despite my thirty-five plus years, I feel as though I’m experiencing a moment as the me I was twenty-five or so years ago. For example, sometimes I stop and ponder the present life I live with my wife, Beth, and our daughter, Ella, and I think it so strange that a “twelve year-old” like myself should find himself in such circumstances. When will they “find me out” and tell me to pack up and go home because playtime is over?
Mind you, this isn’t a bad or frightening feeling. I’m not saying I feel like an imposter during these moments. Rather, these are times when I’m able to enjoy my present circumstances with the joy and whimsy of a child. What’s more, I know I’m not alone in these thoughts. I’m quite sure that whether or not you’ve ever felt this way, you’re capable of feeling this way given the right outlook.
What I’m describing here is one aspect of what I believe it means to be young at heart. It isn’t about not “acting your age”. Instead it’s about enjoying life’s moments as a gift. I count it as a gift when I’m able to reflect on my present roles and responsibilities with the delight of my younger self pretending to be all grown up. It’s a great stress reliever, and it helps me enter into the experiences of those around me.
These thoughts came to me as our house was winding down this evening. Mommy was brushing Ella’s teeth, and I was getting ready to read Ella a bedtime story. It had been a wonderful Father’s Day. It started with me getting Ella out of bed this morning. As I rubbed her back, she lifted her arm and said, “Hi, Daddy.” Then I brought her into the den, and we snuggled on the couch for a while before Mommy came in from getting dressed. We went to church, and then we drove over to my Father’s church to hear him preach. He exhorted all the fathers that their single most important job was to lead their children to Christ. I could attest to his integrity in saying this as he has done this for me.
Later this evening, I found myself thinking about God as my Dad. It’s such an astounding claim that Christians make: The God who created the Universe is the same God who is our Abba, Daddy, Father (Romans 8:15). Yet, this is what is attested to in the Scriptures. Therefore, considering my adoption as God’s son by virtue of my faith in Christ, in one sense, I’m justified in feeling like a child as I go through life. By virtue of His Holy Spirit, God imparts the vitality of the Christ-life upon His children. He makes all things new, redeeming our lives for His eternal purposes. Despite the fact that our bodies grow old, if we allow Him, His Spirit will infuse our everyday moments with the wonder, awe and even whimsy that comes from being children of the Great, High King.