Play Date

What do kids jumping on beds and wanting hippopotamuses (not rhinoceruses) have to do with our spiritual journey? Play. It is the first thing that usually falls away from our lives when we become too busy, too serious, too rushed. We forget to play. I think it is no coincidence that one of the outstanding Christian formation curricula for children in our church is titled "Godly Play." Play is of God and from God and for God. It renews our spirits and makes joy real. I had a wonderful day off from work yesterday because I essentially played all day (as yesterday's blog postings attest!). It's not that I had less to do this week than other weeks; it's just that I decided to make room for play first. It was a great decision. When our children are young, we make "play dates" so they can get together with their friends and have fun. Maybe adults need to write in some "play dates" on our calendars as well.