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Hey Dad,

You know sometimes I get conflicted, as do a lot of dads. Should we always do the wise thing or are there times when the wise thing is the wrong thing? See my dilemma? Then I read this article by Robin Hoffman (he's a guy) in Ranch and Farm Living Magazine (no, I'm not a farmer). He helped bring things into perspective for me … and I hope it does the same for you.

Every time I see kids lost in the pure joy of snuggling with a puppy, splashing in a mud puddle or burrowing through a straw pile (like the photo he's describing), I find myself wishing I could be a kid again.
Then as long as I'm bending the laws of time and space, I usually go one step further and wish I could be a kid who knew THEN what I know NOW.

At least, that was the plan until I started thinking back to the day I shot the photo. While I envied the fun all those kids were having in the straw pile, I couldn't help thinking, "Boy, that's gonna be a long itchy drive home." And I realized that IF I'd known THEN what I know NOW, I'd have been the world's most boring kid.

Kids enjoy life more than we (dads) do because they don't think about the consequences. They see every new experience as an opportunity, as an adventure - and dive in headfirst.

As we grow older and WISER, we see more and more consequences, until sadly, we become so WISE that we can't see anything else.
Here's the kicker, Robin goes on to say, "Doing the wise thing isn't always the best thing."

You know he's right. Playing it wise sometimes keeps us from experiencing God's best as a dad. Prudence would say," Don't play in the rain, don't have ice cream for breakfast, or don't waste your quarter on the gumball machine" … But maybe "prudence is wrong … and Robin is right."

So when the kids walk right through a puddle next time … see if you can make a bigger splash.

You 'da dad!

© 2011 Todd Wilson. Used by permission

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