Perhaps it was a tradition of my family only, or it could have been a tradition of international proportions among all societies. From a child’s perspective, I had no clue. The one thing I do know is that as far back as I can remember there has been a little interactive jingle that always brought bursts of laughter and great delight to a child being held by a parent. The child is sitting on the parent’s lap facing the parent with the parent holding the child on the upper arms. As the child is bounced on the knees, a little song goes like this: “Old Billy Ruby going to town, riding a billy goat, leading a hound, hound barked, billy goat jumped, old Billy Ruby fell on a stump!” With the “fell on a stump” the parent would spread their legs and while continuing to hold to the upper arms, quickly drop the child down between their legs with the childs legs still up on their lap. This would cause shrieks of laughter in the child along with an enthusiastic call for “do it again.” Usually, the activity was successfully stopped with everybody happy only after many trips of Old Billy Ruby going to town.
Every good parent enjoys seeing their child have a good time and enjoy life. Parents will often go to great extent and sacrifice in order to provide their children that good time in life. Father God is no different. If a good natural father will not give his child a scorpion if he asks for an egg, so much more will the heavenly Father not give a bad thing if the child is desiring a good thing (Luke 11:9-13). Life and lusts and opposing spiritual forces will lay bad things on a child (James 1:1-15). Jesus came to give us life abundant in every area, spirit, soul, body, family, financial, social, and eternal (John 10:10). To have that, our laughter might need to turn to mourning for a season of turning from our way to his way, but joy comes in the morning by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that way, as we are being held by Father God, we can experience the joy and delight of fellowship with him and having a good time in his love for us. The Bible does say he sings over us (Zephaniah 3: 17). So as he sings over you, know that he is holding you tightly to give you the desire of your heart. He wants you to enjoy the journey by trusting in him. With great sacrifice, the sacrifice of his only Son, God has provided and has in place everything you need to have that abundant life in every way. His will for you is written in his Word. Persistently take his Word and apply his Word by speaking it into your life out loud, and know the joy of “Old Billy Ruby going to town.”
