A Lesson from Tom and Aunt Fidget Wonkham-Strong

The children’s book, How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen, delights my grandsons as much as it delighted their father when he was a boy. Every time I read this book to a child, I find myself enjoying the silly, fun, and imaginative story. The protagonist is a boy – Tom – who spends most of his time “fooling around” with random items in the mud (such as sticks, crumpled paper and bent nails), playing on high-up things, and working his way inside things (such as barrels in alleys). His aunt, a woman with the wonderfully distinctive name of “Fidget Wonkam-Strong”, considers all such activities to be a monumental waste of time. 

Yet all of Tom’s fooling around ultimately serves a greater end. By exploring and experimenting and continually learning about his environment, Tom is prepared to meet a challenge from some rivals: Captain Najork and his hired sportsmen. He beats these foes in a series of games he has never played. With five seasoned adults against one adolescent, Tom comes out on top.

How does Tom succeed with the odds against him? 

Precisely because he has spent time “fooling around”. His apparently useless activities have honed problem-solving skills. By learning from his environment and his experiences, he is able to make the mental jump from things he’s done…to things he’s never done. Because of his very intentional, focused, fooling around, he develops his ability to think, to reason, to be creative. To look at the situations of life from new perspectives. 

So in this imaginative children’s story, I find a powerful nugget of truth: fooling around with things actually can help us grow.

This principle really tugs at me, because a central part of the spiritual retreats I offer includes “playing around” time. We experiment with clay, or paint, or water beads. We learn about their texture and behavior. We learn how different mediums act and react with each other. We do this because I believe – like Tom – that this can unlock the creative side of our brains. As we intentionally and creatively play, I believe we can become more than just good problem solvers like Tom…I believe we can develop new ways to understand and experience God.

And yet – far too often – my inner adult defaults to the attitudes of Aunt Fidget Wonkham-Strong; the one who views playing around, and tinkering with materials, as a waste of time. Perhaps it’s the perfectionist in me, wanting to be sure that every effort I make is efficient and effective and useful and perfect. That everything I do – everything I do with others – demonstrates immediate and discernible benefits.

And yet – with further reflection – I realize that my perfectionism often is wedded to fear: What if I don’t do it well? What if I can’t figure it out? How will I feel about myself? What will others think

Tom offers a different approach.He pursues experiences for their enjoyment and what they can teach him. He asks questions about what works and what doesn’t work. He doesn’t evaluate his tinkering with a pass/fail grade, or worry whether he does it well or not, or even worry about whether or not he sees immediate results. Instead, through the process of fun and interesting experimentation, he learns. He grows. He develops the ability to better adapt to the ever-present challenges of life. He equips himself to see the experiences of life through a different set of lenses.

As I read the book, and as I ponder the attitudes of Tom and his aunt, I’m struck by this contrast:

The aunt embodies the idea of expectation and safety, which leads to an attitude that is loaded with judgment, and comfort, and “proper” activities. Tom embodies the idea of experimentation, which leads to an attitude of joy, and exploration, and expression, and learning. Always learning and growing.

Which of these characters best describes you: Aunt Fidget Wonkam-Strong? Or Tom? Perhaps you have tendencies toward both, and you let the circumstances of the moment determine which character you will adopt at any given time.

Ponder this thought: Is there an area of life where either perfectionism or fear has stunted your ability to try something new? Does it usually feel like a waste of your time to tinker, to fool around, to play with different products or materials just to see what happens?

Here’s my encouragement to you: this week, choose some material and fool around with it. 

Paint.

Play a new instrument.

Make something out of wood without following a set of plans.

Doodle with pen and paper.

Take random materials from your home and make a water feature.

In some way, take the opportunity to exercise your creative muscles. As you do, spend some time thinking about God, our creative Creator. The one who gives youthe ability to be creative, if you are willing to “fool around” and let him unlock that part of you. You may be surprised to see how – over time – this kind of experimentation enlarges the way you look at challenges and opportunities. It might even enlarge the way you understand and experience God.

[And, if you’re looking for inspiration, find a copy of the book I mentioned. If nothing else, it may provide you a moment of laughter and spark your imagination.]

Let me bring you before our God this morning. 

Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me through a children’s book about a life lesson: you have given us imagination so we can learn from experimentation. I pray for those who might feel restricted to try new things because of either perfectionism or fear. Help them to become free of these qualities that hamper them and cause them to feel exposed. Instead, I pray for a spirit of boldness and fun as they get beyond their chosen boundaries, and see what you might show them as they “fool around” in new ways. Help them to remember you do not demand perfectionism…you only ask them to discover and use their creativity to experience a broader, richer, fuller life. To experience you in a broader, richer, fuller way. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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