Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

God Doesn’t Like Fun

By

I should be prepping for the class I need to teach.

But here’s the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ricky meet.

And then the one where Lucy races the horse.

Then the one where the whole gang along with Fred MacMurray hunt for uranium.

I hear Grace in the kitchen. She’s laughing at me falling-off-the-couch laughing.

I. Love. Lucy.

How could anyone not? Except my dad. He’d mutter a few unmentionables and stomp out of the room when she came on.

I should get serious here.

But I’m having fun.

Pastor talked about fun this morning.

How God created us with the ability to have fun.

How having fun is restful.

In the beginning I Am existed and created.

And then rested.

What did He do when He rested? Since He never sleeps or slumbers, I’m pretty certain He didn’t take a Sabbath nap.

Maybe He just was.

Just was I Am.

Maybe He just sat down, threw back His head and laughed as He delighted in His creation.

It’s pretty obvious that He had some fun while He worked. Who else could come up with something like an elephant or a platypus?

I think of this while I laugh and waste my time watching one of the most creative actresses ever.

While I’m just . . . being.

Grace perches on the edge of the seat next to me, and while she texts her mom, I accidentally knock her off onto the floor.

And we laugh some more.

Then it’s bedtime.

I tuck her into her flowered sheets, pull up the pink fluffy and the pink and yellow patchwork.

I start to pray, but tonight she doesn’t interrupt with questions.

“I have something to pray about,” she interrupts.

“Okay, do you want to pray now?”

“No, when you’re done.”

But when I’m done, she’s forgotten what she wants to say. “What do I usually say?”

“Well, it’s been a while since you wanted to pray. You usually start with ‘thank for this day, thank you for this night.’ ”

That just tickles her, and she breaks into laughter again.

She finally ends up praying for the box people and children without parents. She thanks God for her own family and her warm bed.

We share a kiss and a hug and say goodnight.

Later, after several more episodes of Lucy and way past my own bedtime, I go to check on her and find a pen and tissue she’s been writing on.

Never give up believing in our Father who made our parents so they made us.

I. Am. Hushed.

In the morning she asks if I saw what she wrote.

I nod.

“Are you going to put it on your blog?”

She knows me too well.

“Would you like me to?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I did post it on Facebook. And by the way, I have a question for you.”

I’m thinking about yesterday morning when Dennis commented on Grace’s correct response to a question posed during the children’s sermon.

(I didn’t hear the exchange. I was busy soaking in the beauty of the church and reminding myself to start bringing my camera on Sundays.)

“How did you know there were 40 days in Lent? Did you hear that in Sunday School?”

“You told me, Nama.”

“I did? When?”

“When we were talking about Ash Wednesday.”

I remember now trying to explain Lent and dust-to-dust to her, and she didn’t quite understand because “I didn’t come from dust–I came from my mama’s tummy.” So we talked about how God made Adam from dust and Eve from Adam and they had children who had children who had children, and her mom eventually had her.

I’m hushed again and think how much fun God must have had imagining and creating her with this ADD brain that bounces so but still manages to catch wisdom that spills out on a piece of tissue.

And surely He must throw His head back and laugh in delight.

Us trying to say bedtime prayers

Never give up believing in Him. ~Grace King, age 9

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And with Jennifer for God-Bumps Wednesday.

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Comments

  2. Sandy, this might be my favorite of yours so far. Although it is hard to pick just one. Love that you taped her laughing and you will have that on days when there isn’t laughter.

    • She didn’t know. I had the phone for her to call her mom when we were done and just sneak-turned it on.

    • I love that one, Darlene! And the one where she gets locked in the freezer. And where she tries to bake bread. And pretending to be Harpo Marx. And . . .

  5. I love the notes from children, I have them all over my house, our grand daughters leave little ‘tidbits’ of themselves all the time.

    • It strikes me that we leave little tidbits of ourselves everywhere we go. I hope they are sweet ones. 🙂

  6. What a beautiful post! Those special moments with children are so special, aren’t they?

    Yes, I’m convinced God does throw His head back and laugh with delight, watching His children!

    Thank you, for sharing this, Sandy!
    Joe Pote recently posted..John ~ A Canine Athlete

    • Not much. Unless it’s sharing secret Dairy Queen. Her mom’s out of town, and DQ opened for the season. She and Grace always go together for the first treat. “It’s tradition,” Grace says. But we went Sunday anyway, and I’m sworn to secrecy.;) They’ll go together this weekend.

  10. Oh, Sandy, this is the first time we’ve met, but I feel like we could share a cup of coffee and smile over the divine belly laughs sparked by our children. I, too, have a little girl who scribbles wisdom on kleenexes, note cards and paper towels. Oh, how I love seeing God’s playful spirit seep through our children’s lives. Thanks for this sweet story.

  12. Did you notice Sandy were you girls watching “We” love Lucy? My hubby had it on, laughing out loud and said something about the show being not being called “I Love Lucy.” I shrugged it off, giggled a few times at those Lucy faces but I really wasn’t tuned in.

    Sounds like Grace is tuned in…to many things—the things that bring us laughter and the things that are eternal. Beautiful.
    Dea Moore recently posted..Grace and Glory

    • Yes, it was “We Love Lucy.” Those episodes had some prior narration.

      It’s always a sweet discovery to find they really are tuned in.

  14. What fun – to hear your voices and the sweet laughter. Surely He laughs with a full, deep sound that ripples and pours out over everyone.
    Linda recently posted..Sunday

  17. So much fun and laughing in this post. I love it.

    And Lucy can sure make a person laugh.

    So glad you had Grace there for the giggles. It’s what memories are made of.

    God bless you

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