Friends and Family,
Recently I went on a spontaneous road trip with my brother Whimsy. He simply asked me to go. He had no agenda, he just wanted to make the most of the day. So there we were, Tuesday afternoon, driving 85 on the freeway, windows down, aviators on, blaring “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts singing at the top of our lungs. Final destination? Anywhere and everywhere life would take us.
This is a small glimpse into what my brother Whimsy is like. He can’t be described outside of what he does, because he is not a description, he is a choice followed by an action. He is the guy who puts his hand on my shoulder and with a twinkle in his eye, says, “let’s go for it Jake, it’s gonna be sweet!” then winks and walks off fully hoping I’ll follow.
Following Whimsy is sometimes dangerous and uncomfortable, but always worth it. He has made my life colorful with experience and free to live unashamed. He is the reason I go to the beach every chance I get, climb mountains, shower in waterfalls, watch sunsets, dive off cliffs, pull pranks, take my feet places they’ve never been, tell people about Jesus with enthusiasm, paint my chest at MSU games, enter eating contests, go on year-long missions trips, ask a girl on a first date, build four-person lofts to sleep in, make snow forts, dance in the rain, celebrate every holiday (including everyone’s birthday :)), dream of being a doctor, look for shooting stars, grow the locks out, play guitar on docks, talk late into the night with friends, sneak into stadiums, loyally do no-shave-November, praise Jesus with both hands raised, give soul-deep joy-filled hugs, smile always and tell people I love them along with many other preconceived joys and spontaneous surprises.
If one tried to define Whimsy he would be the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment. His full name “Whimsical” sounds like an amusement park ride. In reality it is, he IS life’s amusement ride, only he’s better, he’s unpredictable, everlasting and free :). Whimsy hits on the deep, exciting, longing of who I am created to be. Some one I may never have become without him asking me to say yes.
God bread Whimsy in the heights of heaven and has implanted him in each of us. It was His idea that I’d enjoii His world, His people and His life to the fullest. This gives glory to God. God’s Whimsy is best articulated in His son Jesus. Jesus acted completely unpredictable and lived counter culturally. He nearly never acted out of reason according to the present day religious leaders. He constantly challenged people to live differently, to sacrifice their limited human lifestyle to step into God’s reality, the overflowing, zesty, whimsical life ride of becoming his disciple.
Whimsy ultimately comes to rise the second we say yes to Jesus’ calling “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In elaborated words Jesus is saying “Follow me and I will show you how to live a radical, loving, whimsical adventure that attracts everyone to me, and gives glory to my Father.”
I love how Paul writes it in his prayer for the Colossian church…
“I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” (Colossians 3:19 MSG)
My brother Whimsy is waiting for you to say yes. Don’t waste today thinking you will say yes tomorrow. God has created a world and relationship with Him full of wonder for us to explore to the end, beyond our natural, everyday mindset and abilities. So step out, take a chance, do something unusual, do something whimsical.
Join me 🙂
Jake
***My Brother Whimsy is inspired by Bob Goff’s book “Love Does”, I highly recommend it 🙂
