My favorite T-Shirt reads: "Not all who wander are lost." Well, I would have lost a wander filled moment had I not agreed (against all I-have-no-clue-what-to-do-for-three-hours-with-a-three-year-old-grandson wisdom) to pick up Kinley from daycare while visiting in Nashville. We did the "Sonic hotdog/fry/cherry limeade" run (23 minutes) after the "howthe h*** do you buckle this nuclear physics designed child car seat" drill (4 minutes), leading to a two-hour and 37 minute "activity deficit" before the scheduled mom & grandma calvary rescue.
We ended up at his favorite park: a maze-rich area of wooden structures, sand, tires and other "thing-like" structures upon which to crawl, duck, hide, scamper and generally do anything your 3-year-old "totally boy" mind can imagine. Much "Chase me Grand Dude!" (C'mon guys, admit it; you'd love that name, too, someday.) Much bubble blowing & chasing as Captain Bubble Killer from the planet BubbleAnda. Much Transformers battle chronicles. Much eating sand superhero energy boosters. And two runs (one for each superhero) to the bathroom.
The clock struck 5:00. They arrived. Seat locations switched. A Munchkin kiss. "I miss you Grand Dude." Off they drove, my heart held captive in the Captain's make-believe. And yes, I was reaaaaaaaaally beat.
My friend, Mark Batterson's excellent book, In a pit with a lion on a snowy day" includes what he calls the "Lion Chasers Manifesto. It reads: Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
Chase the lion.
Grrrrrrrrrrrreat advice. I added chasing bubbles and a three-year-old miracle.
For emphasis - (b)
Posts
3 year olds rock! Isn't it a treat to be exhausted by the expenditure of creative energy? I love the visual of grabbing life by the mane. Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous blog entry today! It made me laugh out loud. The energy, curiosity, and zest for life that 3 years olds have is AMAAAAAAAAAZING!!!!
ReplyDeleteRachelle
You may not have realized it, but somehow as you were playing with Kinley, your phone dialed my work phone number. I laughed out loud when I heard a message full of Grandpa and Kinley giggles and “chase” conversation. It was delightful imagining you crawling all over the ‘park’ (as Thomas used to call the playground).
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Precious times Gramps (even when enjoyed audibly by a far-off friend-who-wishes-to-be-a-Grama-someday)…
Hugs,
Donna
Thanks Becky. Sounds like you, too get the importance found at the "mane event."
ReplyDelete(b)
Thanks, Anonymous Rachelle! It is totally amaaaaaaaaaazing the magic and power and spell from a life only 3 years in the making. Maybe we need to "3 it" a bit more every day?
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding -- (b)
Hey DJ! What makes you think it was an accident?? Probably 3:1 odds that it was just what was needed at just the right time. See, it took you right back to your very moment.
ReplyDeleteHere's to speed dialing!!
(b)