Childish Things

Penny has the chance of a lifetime - her own exhibit at Jacques Henri's art gallery - but after one terrible betrayal, she's afraid to trust anyone ever again. Then a book on reading body language convinces her she can spot a liar by their gestures, and suddenly every friend at Whit's End is a suspect. Wooton's fidgeting at lunch looks like guilt, and when Jacques blinks and rubs his face at the big meeting, Penny walks out on the deal... never guessing his twitches come from painful new contact lenses. Has she analyzed away her own future? With help from Whit and her friends, Penny learns that wisdom doesn't come from a checklist, returns to apologize, and signs the agreement after all - and her exhibition is a hit. As for Wooton, his fidgeting really was hiding something... just not what Penny thinks.

Found on Clanging Cymbals...and the Meaning of God's Love Album 54 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0696 You're Two Kind A student's offer to help a struggling classmate is tested when kindness, secrets, and hurt feelings collide over a class project.

0697 A Penny Earned When free-spirited artist Penny can't find a job in Odyssey, her friends scramble to help her find work before she's forced to move back home.

0698 Never for Nothing When Matthew questions why anyone should keep showing kindness to people who don't deserve it, his grandmother-in-town Lucia's story of a childhood friend who believed love is never wasted begins to reveal an unexpected answer.

0699 Emily the Genius When a school aptitude test labels Emily a genius, her family's newfound pride sets her on a path she'll do anything to stay on.

0700 How to Sink a Sub When Katrina takes over a middle school literature class, her high standards spark a student rebellion - and Olivia must decide whether to trust her friend or follow the crowd.

0701 Unbecoming Jay When a scheming Jay pawns off his visiting cousin on an unsuspecting friend, an unlikely friendship blooms - and Jay can't leave well enough alone.

0702 Childish Things Burned by a past betrayal, Penny turns to a body-language book to instantly judge who she can trust - and starts seeing deception in everyone around her.

1 of 3 0703 The Labyrinth An undercover agent's sting goes sideways in London, leaving him framed, hunted on all sides, and saddled with a streetwise young orphan who knows too much.

2 of 3 0704 The Labyrinth Framed as a traitor and hunted in London, Jason races to uncover what his enemy has planned for a gathering of world leaders at the British Museum.

3 of 3 0705 The Labyrinth Held captive by criminals with a deadly bioweapon hidden inside museum antiques, Jason must find a way to stop an attack on visiting heads of state before the exhibition opens.

0706 To Mend or Repair When fixing things is all you know, Eugene must learn that a grieving heart isn't a machine to repair.

0707 Mistaken for Good A reluctant errand to a retirement home turns complicated when a lonely resident mistakes Jay for her grandson - and the money starts flowing.

1 of 4 0708 Sergeant York A reckless Tennessee sharpshooter's wild ways collide with tragedy, faith, and a war he wants no part of.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 1 more roles

1 supporting role

Jacques Henri Dan Hagen

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer · Director Nathan Jones Sound Designer Bob Hoose Producer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Penny wants to become wiser about whom she can trust before signing an agreement for an exhibit at Jacques Henri's gallery. Her faith in Professor Trask had ended in terrible betrayal, and she is afraid of being fooled again. Connie explains that discernment grows through time and experience, but Penny wants a quicker method.

A book about reading people convinces Penny that body language will reveal everyone's hidden motives. She begins classifying personal distances, gestures, tones, and facial expressions. Eugene becomes so uncomfortable under her constant analysis that he hides from her, while Connie warns that the same movement can have many innocent explanations.

At lunch, Penny studies Wooton's every motion. She concludes that he is happy and comfortable until she remarks that an observer might think they are in love. Wooton then leans back, hides behind his menu, fidgets, and avoids her gaze. Penny interprets his embarrassment as proof that he is concealing something untrustworthy, missing the possibility that he has feelings for her and does not know how to discuss them.

Penny carries her new method into the business meeting with Jacques and Whit. Jacques repeatedly touches his face and blinks, so she refuses even to read his agreement and walks out. His strange movements actually come from painful new contact lenses, not deception.

Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton help Penny see the trouble she has caused. Her friends are afraid that any ordinary gesture will be misread, and she has nearly thrown away a genuine opportunity. Penny admits that she hoped a checklist would turn her into a mature person who could never be deceived again. Connie explains that wisdom grows through knowledge, experience, discernment, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit; it cannot be obtained by a shortcut.

Penny trusts Whit's judgment of Jacques and returns to apologize. Jacques treats her dramatic departure as an artist's expected outburst, accepts her back, and completes the agreement. The exhibition is a success, and patrons admire and purchase Penny's work.

At the gallery, Penny apologizes to Wooton and asks him to remain her friend forever. He promises he will, though his deeper feelings remain unspoken. Penny also displays a design about putting away childish things. Her growing maturity does not require her to lose the imagination and openness that make her an artist; it asks her to let God shape those qualities with patience and wisdom.