“Like the play of sunlight on water, joy shifts from moment to moment. Wild and free, scornful of rules, joy refuses to be pinned down and systematized in a book. Joy is not something to be written or read about, but lived.” This exercise is an invitation to take a deeper step into the abundant life that Jesus gives through his life lived in us and through us.

Have you ever noticed how a person’s home reflects their joy? If someone is full of life and joy, they tend to decorate their home in beautiful colors and with items that lift the spirit. Since we are temples of Jesus’ Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and Jesus Christ is not “a cosmic stuffed shirt,” how might his presence living in us make us more alive? Paul even called Christ in you “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Most of us lose the spark of life we had as a little child. As a way to let your embodied soul live more in sync with the abundant life of Christ in you, give yourself permission to experience the joyful life of a child. Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). We will explore two aspects of the life of a child.

The first aspect is the reaction of abandoned joy a child shows because of something good and beautiful. If you ask a group of little kids who wants ice cream, what do you get? Squeals, laughter, exuberant energy! So you are invited to let Jesus’ zeal for life well up within you. If you have forgotten what that looks like or don’t have good memories of that period in your own life, watch a little child blowing bubbles or playing with a puppy. You could do an image search on your phone or computer for “child playing in sprinkler.” Notice the wonder and delight. Children wear joy all over their faces and all through their entire bodies. They don’t just feel joy, they jump for joy.

The second aspect of a child we will connect with is curiosity. Children don’t just wonder about things, they ask a million questions. One of their favorite questions is “Why?” Children love explanations of the world they are discovering. Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous Just So Stories for his daughter Effie to explain some of the many questions of a child. How did the camel get its hump? How did the leopard get its spots? How did the elephant get its trunk?

Children also wake up every day with a new thirst for life. “The manna of joy falls in limitless supply, but each day’s rations must be gathered afresh.” So even though this exercise is for one day, I hope it will be the beginning of obtaining a fresh supply of childlike joy and life each day!

Set aside a time—an hour, several hours, or, if you are able, an entire day—where you give yourself permission to become as a child. Choose one of these two options:

1. 1. Let yourself respond to joyful things as a child would. For the amount of time you choose (an hour, several hours, a day), in your reactions when joyful things happen, say to yourself, “If I were a child, I would ___________.” For example, let’s say you get an email from a friend inviting you to go out for coffee. If you were a child, you might gleefully jump up and down in anticipation of being with your friend. So let yourself actually jump up and down. I promise you it will fill you with life. There’s no need to be silly, just be joyful to wake up some of the expressions that will bring life to your day. And your joy will be more full-orbed because you included your physical body, rather than just allowing cerebral joy.

2. 2. Let yourself ask questions. Again, choose how long you want to do this exercise. Especially ask “why” questions. Have a continual dialogue with Jesus throughout this time, asking him questions. Let your heart soar with wonder as a little child. You will come alive in places that may be squelched. You don’t have to hear an answer. Jesus might even give you a further question, like “Where were you when I made the ostrich’s feathers?” Just let yourself wonder with God. “Jesus, why do I say the same things my mother or father said?” “Jesus, how does my mouth know to be dry when I’m thirsty?” “Jesus, what is time?” “Jesus, do angels sleep?” These examples are to give you ideas, to turn on the faucet of your own imagination. There’s no real form to a good question. Let the wonderer inside of you have free rein to ask any kind of question of Jesus that you desire.

Write in your journal about your experiences of living life as a child for a day. Notice how it felt and what it awakened within you.