Strategic Whimsy

Love Does. Love is an action that I try to be involved in every day. Bob Goff wrote a book with that title last year, and I recently heard him speak at a conference in Dallas. He coined the term, "Strategic Whimsy", explaining that in everything we do, we must strategically respond to the Spirit and move forward in action while at the same time wandering whimsically ready to add God's love to a situation, ready to encourage, and ready to give hope or place laughter where there is none. We must love well.

He told of how he was strategically whimsy while being involved as an attorney and helping to place a human trafficker in Uganda in prison while also loving above and beyond the people who were in the village and hurt by the prisoners actions and loving the prisoner who had done so much evil in his country. He was involved because he saw a need an wanted to fill it, knowing God's heart was also breaking for these people.

I want to live like that. I was truly inspired by his talk and hope to read his book. My one story here lately is just a small part, but it made me smile:

I was running at the park one day, when I saw a little boy and his dad playing in the grass nearby. The little boy must have been 2 or so, and as I made a loop and came back, was directly in my path. They scooted to the side, when the little boy decided he wanted to run with me. So along he came, his five steps keeping up with just one of mine. He was screaming with glee as he followed, until his dad called, and he ran back. One more lap, and this time, I thought I'd be strategic and talk to this family. I asked the dad if they went to many of the parks in Houston, and he answered that they'd only been in Houston for a short time. I quickly gave him suggestions of different ones, telling him what I did for a living and why I loved them so much. While we were talking, the little boy ran up to me with his arms waving, hugging my legs, then reaching for me to pick him up. So I did. His quick response of love to me was so touching. As I set him down and told them both hello, I ran one more lap with a giant smile, hoping that I passed on more places for Ian and his dad to bond, and running with a heart overjoyed by the little boy's spontaneous hug.