Last night I took out the trash, my weekly pilgrimage to the curb. I’ve done it before. Lots of times. And this is another day… Sometimes I wake up without enthusiasm, not expecting much from the hours that lie ahead. Another day, not unlike the last. I’m probably not the only one like that.

As I was in prayer this morning, I thought about that pattern. I wondered about Jesus awakening in the morning and going out to talk to his Father, his “Abba.” Surely his take on the day was different than mine. He was going to His Papa for instructions and wisdom to face the challenges of walking in a world straining against its destiny. I imagined Jesus as a little child–the Kingdom is made of such–eagerly coming to His Papa: “What are we gonna do today, Papa?” And the answer coming back gently: “Just wait and see…”

Now, I don’t know if I can change, but I want to. I want to go out to my office to pray in the morning, or to the Grotto where I go sometimes, and be the child–have the Jesus-child life in me–and run to my heavenly Father who has adventures in his pocket, look into His face with child-like anticipation and ask, “What are we gonna do today, Papa?” And then go exploring, my Papa and me.