frankly speaking: JUST KIDDING AROUND

Dear All of Us,

No kidding!

It takes a long time

for most of us

to get good at

JUST KIDDING

AROUND

We were really good

at it early on.

Then for years of when

we were schooled

away from it.

"Come on! Grow up!"

"Don't be such a baby!"

"Be a Big Boy/Girl."

"Stand on your own two feet."

"Get serious about life."

"Stand apart."

"Take care of yourself."

"Be your own man/woman."

"Get a life!'

"Get an education.

"Get a job."

And most of us did.

I did.

Off to boarding school,

seminary, college, university,

piling up those degrees.

Ordained, pastored

all sizes and shapes

of churches, taught

high school and college,

helped lead a large

diocesan school system,

retreat master, spiritual director,

blessedly married, fathered,

now grandfathering, writer, speaker.

A lot of a lot.

Most of it quite worthwhile.

All grown up.

Yet, well, something got lost,

not all together,

but sadly too often and much -

a disconnect from simplicity,

source and center.

Growing up sometimes

meant growing away

from the total trust,

the playfulness,

the centered spirituality

of childhood, the grace of

JUST KIDDING AROUND

These days, long of years,

short of breath,

I'm getting a second wind

as my days wind down.

Jesus and my little

Grand Son, Ollie the Younger,

are taking me out to play,

to cut loose, romp, trust,

get "happied" up, secure in a

spirituality Source centered.

We're having a ball

JUST KIDDING AROUND.

I watch Ollie.

He is centered in

The Source.

It's not a "think thing".

It's a lived experience,

mediated by his Mom.

He loves her.

He needs her

and he knows it!!

He trusts her.

He is free and safe with her.

He dives into embrace and

gets lost in snuggle.

They play.

He grows and learns

secure in their oneness.

A model and experience of

simple, Source centered

spirituality.

Ollie is a great coach

and playmate.

He's really good at

JUST KIDDING AROUND

Jesus is out here in

the playground of life with us.

He smiles me simple and safe.

All kinds of oneness.

Together we get absorbed

in the flowers and trees

and beautiful architecture

of our neighborhood here in DC.

We feel expansive doing

water aerobics together,

delighted in the rippled

light show of sun and water

dancing together in

the crystal-clear pool.

We take our time and savor

the extraordinary meals

my wife prepares every evening.

We go up to the roof pavilion

many evenings and get lost

in the panoramic magnificence

of the sunset over the cathedral.

There's mellowing in

gentle family visits.

We read all kinds of great books.

We often and more and more

just sit together, a rested oneness.

At about the same time,

the disciples came

to Jesus asking,

"Who gets the highest rank

in God's kingdom?"

For an answer Jesus

called over a child,

whom he stood in the middle

of the room, and said,

" I'm telling you,

once and for all,

that unless you return

to square one and

start over like children,

you're not even going

to get a look at the kingdom,

let alone get in.

Whoever becomes simple

and elemental again,

like this child, (like Ollie)

will rank high in God's kingdom.

What's more, when you receive

the childlike on my account,

it's the same as receiving me."

Matthew 18: 1-5

The Message

Is it ever so God

to finally get back to

JUST KIDDING AROUND

Ollie the Elder

******

Ollie has an extraordinarily

good father.

More of the same Godness

in a different way.

He is twice blessed to

The Source

******

Hey, to all the new kids showing up

here today, You're in! Let's play!

frankly speaking

spirituality for the street

(and certainly,

for the playground)

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

click frankly speaking top left

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