May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. (Psalm 119.74, NLT)

My middle child always was our source for adventure. Curious, willful, intelligent and physically strong, she kept Michelle and I running until we watched her cross the line into adulthood. When she was a toddler, we lived in an “Old Portland” home. Built in the early 1920’s, the house had several extraordinary architectural features that distinguished it from other buildings of the same age. One of my daughter’s favorites was the crazy steep stairs to the second floor bedrooms.

Quite often I would get home from work and rather running to greet me, she would squeal, “Daddy’s home…come catch me!” Up four or five steps she would climb and hold out her arms waiting for me to take up my required spot. When I reached somewhere near where I would need to be to catch her, into the air she would launch. There was more than once when I was just in time. She never seemed to worry; she would loudly laugh as she flew from her perch. After the catch came, “Again!” and back up the stairs she would go until my arms were too tired to play anymore and I called for a break.

Even back then when I was in my twenties, I understood that God was introducing me to a deep spiritual truth as I stood catching my daughter over and over. She knew she should not jump off those stairs without someone to catch her. However, the fear of the eight foot height from which she jumped found its perspective when she believed she could not fall to the floor. She loved to “show off” to guests when they came. Even the squeamish mothers who gave Michelle that, “Are you really going to let him catch her?” look, couldn’t keep themselves from sharing in my little jumper’s abandoned delight.

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Luke 18.17, NASB) So does this mean I need to climb up the steep stairs in my life hold out my arms, call out to my Daddy, and jump? Does this mean I have to trust the truth passed from generation to generation to be the arms connected to the Father who is always there to catch? Does this mean that those who watch me celebrate abandoned delight can at least vicariously join in the fun? I think that is exactly what this means.

Some may say the whole idea is silliness: the privilege of maturity cures us from all such nonsense. After all, how many of us have “leaped” somewhere along the way only to hit the ground and be injured?

Those who read this psalm quickly discover that the writer is quite familiar with life’s troubles and yet proclaims those who “place hope” in God’s word live in such a way as to be a wellspring of joy for others.

What a magnificent calling! One I aspire to fulfill, even though it means I have to be a kid again and unreservedly put hope again where it belonged all along.