My dad’s best friend when he lived in Long Beach was Jim Baker. Like my dad, Jim was a pathologist. He did serious work diagnosing people’s illnesses.
But somehow Dr. Baker always seemed to retain a twinkle in his eye and a playful approach to the world. Having grandkids was perfect. He loved to get down on the floor and romp with them.
Dr. Baker’s childhood was difficult – filled with pain. His wife told me that he would get terribly depressed. After getting married, he met Jesus and Jesus taught him this secret: you’re never too old to have a happy childhood.
In a world full of deadlines and deliverables, Dr. Baker was able to take off the doctor’s white coat and be fully present in the moment. He knew that when we play, there’s no destination. And as a Christian, he knew God wasn’t trying to get him to a destination either.
Dr. Baker died this past month. The last conversation we had, we reflected on how God prepares us to leave this earth by taking away the things we cling to and take for granted – things like our health and relationships. But, one thing they couldn’t take from him was that impish way he had that made life fun.
I want to learn from his example.
Comments are closed.
Receive updates on the latest posts as Seth Barnes covers many topics like spiritual formation, what if means to be a christian, how to pray, and more. Radical Living blog is all about a call to excellence in ministry, church, and leadership -as the hands and feet of Jesus.
I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.
© Adventures In Missions. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | RSS Feed | Sitemap
This made me extremely happy. What a great way of extending God’s hope that transcends past pain!
i am touched and at the same time inspired by his life. yes! we were given opportunities to replace bad memories to good memories as we all stay alive in this world. having fun in everything you do is awesome and relaxing for me. thanks to Him who has given us enough days to recover from simple to complicated bad memories.
Great philosophy…. I believe it!
Encouraging, and I believe it. I just haven’t figured out how to get there yet.
We don’t get to choose much in our lives, but we do get to choose how we respond. Thanks for sharing a good example.