Wanna Go Back?

Photo by Kelvin Quarles on Unsplash

Being an adult can be hard. Let me rephrase that, being a RESPONSIBLE adult IS hard. I often see a meme floating around Facebook that says something to the effect of, “What I miss most about being a kid is not paying bills.” I agree with this statement. Being a responsible adult means paying for everything from food and clothing, to a place to live and power and water. (And that is just the “essential” stuff.) And, this is just the tip of the proverbial “responsible adult” iceberg.

As a responsible adult, you must do things like hold down a job, keep food in the refrigerator, keep the house clean, and do yard work. Throw in some pets and/or kids in the mix and your responsibilities just quadrupled in size. With all these responsibilities weighing us down, it can be nice to daydream about being a kid again.

Go back with me won’t, you? I was blessed as a kid. I had a mom and a dad and younger brother. We had a nice house, plenty of food and clothes, and toys galore. Looking back, I can’t see one area in our lives in which we lacked. We had family and friends. We went to church. There was love surrounding us. I felt safe and secure. I honestly don’t remember worrying about anything. (At least nothing of any significance.) It doesn’t get much better than that.

Now, I know that this is not the case for everyone. And, if you are reading this and didn’t experience these things growing up, I am truly sorry. I hope that as an adult, your life has gotten better. (If not, I have some great news for you—it can get better! Once you invite Jesus into your life, He can and will make it better, if you allow Him to.)

For those of us who can look back on our childhoods with a sense of security and contentment, I have a question for you. Do you feel that sense of security and contentment today, as an adult? Answer truthfully now.

I have a feeling that a lot of you are like in me, in that your answer would depend on the day. Some days I do feel safe and secure and content, other days, not so much. I guess this is the joy of being an adult. (I hope you can pick up on the sarcasm in that last sentence.)

I am a music lover and enjoy music of all sorts and types. Right now, I am in a season of life where I LOVE Contemporary Christian music and my favorite radio station is the Joy FM. (If you haven’t listened to them, please do—you won’t regret it!)  There is a great song that is in rotation right now by David Dunn called I Wanna Go Back. In this song, David sings about the simpler times when he was kid. It is a fun and upbeat song that always brings a smile to my face.

On Thursday afternoons on the Jayar Show, Jayar hosts “chats” with famous Christian people. Most of these are the very Contemporary Christian artists that fill the airwaves on the Joy FM. A few weeks ago, Jayar chatted with David Dunn. During their conversation, Jayar asked David about I Wanna Go Back and what the song is about.  If you know the song, you probably had the same thought I did, it is about looking back on our youth and realizing what a much simpler time it was. And, I do think it is about that. However, David’s response had much more breadth and depth to it. And, when he shared it, I was taken aback.

David shared that what his song is about is going back to that carefree time as a child when we felt safe and secure, but that it was more than that. He talks about how in reality, our Heavenly father is the one who provides this safety and security. Our perception is incorrect. As kids, we feel like our parents are taking care of us and there are no worries. But, it isn’t our parents if for us, it is God. He says we tend to forgot about that aspect of Jesus. (The fact that He is the one who is taking care of us.)
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Isn’t this an amazing revelation? It certainly was to me! I mean, I know this truth, but I never thought of it in these terms before. David uses such a great analogy to open our eyes. David wisely says, “Faith, in the purest form, is the same as it was when I was a little kid.”

The fact that God took care of not only me, but my parents and brother all those years ago, just drives the point home that He is taking care of me now. As an adult, on those days when I don’t necessarily feel like my life is all that safe and secure, I have no need to worry about it. I have Jesus and He will take superb care of me—just like He always has. Doesn’t this make you feel a whole lot lighter? Better? More free? I know it does me!