The pursuit of playdom

                                                            The pursuit of playdom.

                I remember when I was a little girl, playing was incorporated into everything that I did, naturally. As a child that was naturally where my thoughts went- how I could play with this and that of my surroundings. Remember how easy it was to play and quickly get whisked off into a different world comprised of make believe and wonder? In my early twenties, I think I still knew how to play. They were just more adult games, like darts or pool or poker. I still knew how to kick back and relax back then too.

                Now that I’m in my early 30’s, when I wake up in the morning, my mind is flooded with the tasks that need to be carried out for the day. All of the needs of others that need to be fulfilled. There are some days that when my head hits the pillow at night, that even though everything got done that day, I still feel as though nothing got done. I’ve begun to think it’s because there was no play time. There was no fun involved. Maybe a few moments on the phone, playing some time waster game- just to take the edge off the day, momentarily. Other than that, where did all the fun go?

                

          There is a pulse to our nation that can be heard in nearly every commercial; media outlet, schools and just about anywhere else. Strive. Succeed. Don’t stop. Keep pushing. Keep planning. Keep working. Don’t rest. This is where all the play has gone. The idea has been knocked off the drawing board of the adult life and replaced with endless striving. There is a book in the Bible that speaks about all the things of life, Ecclesiastes. The first time I read it, I thought it was really depressing. But then the next time I read it, I felt the Lord open my eyes to the real point behind it all. That life is meaningless without God.

               

          God is the author of all things, whether it is work or it is play. You can see the nature of our Creator in all things. Although we are the only ones made in His image.

                “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecc 1:14

“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Ecc 5:15

I am not suggesting lazy-ness either, I am suggesting not so much busyness. Busyness keeps our sight off of what is most important; God and our families. Growing in love and in relationship with both. Having fun together. Playing. Living rather than just surviving and striving.

We can’t achieve our way into approval from God. There are days where we are going to fall miserably short of God’s glory, that is every day but that is what we have Jesus Christ for. We will all stand before the judgment seat of God, whether you believe that or not. I will not stand there and explain away all the things that I did in this life and all the things that I had. All the money I had in the bank, all the awards I won and how respected or feared I may have been. I want to stand there and tell Him that I loved my family with every ounce of love He filled my heart with. And on the days I felt myself slipping, I turned to His Son for my strength to go on. That is what I hope to take with me when I depart.

If you sit and look out your window on a fall or spring day and watch the squirrels you will see a wonderful example of work and play. Squirrels are usually hard at work; collecting, gathering, building. But in the midst of it all, they play. You see them chasing one another up and down trees, from limb to limb. Or what about dogs? Who do you think it is that gave your dog a mind to play fetch? Or what causes the birds to rejoice after a warm spring rain? I can see outside my window, even though it is bitter cold, squirrels playing. And when the wind picks up, I can see them cuddling together for warmth in their tree top nests.

               

  Some would argue that animals are almost “programmed” to be this way or that it’s just their nature. That may be true but maybe they are the smarter ones for not replacing the original program. Do you think we were always supposed to strive unto death? Until we are thread bare and white knuckled? Why do you suppose more and more people need sleeping pills just to sleep? Or depression medication? There is something going on here that we are all ignoring- this life we are leading, the one we are pushed to lead due to our environments and our newly programmed mindsets, is taking away from what matters most. The thing that gives us peace. God. Family. And some good old fashioned fun.

                “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:2-3.

I don’t think God rested because He was tired… He rested because He knows how important resting is. It’s an example and outline set forth for us to follow. We need to rest too. We also need to play. It is in our nature, remember, you played as a child. You ARE still the person you were as a child, you’re just older now and your playdom has been stolen by all of your tasks and endless striving. Find that person again. He or she is still in there. Don’t think about how silly you will look, playing. Just go where your heart leads you. Play in a way that of course wouldn’t be harmful to others or displeasing to God. Or if that’s too big of a step, then just be still…

Good luck finding your way back to playdom, your inner child will be there waiting for you…