All Work and No Play

From time to time I receive responses from the devotionals I write. One recently really caught my attention. The gist of the devotional was that many of us need to learn how to play more. This reader wrote: "I [thought] just this morning about how much I am NOT having fun. It is not easy to totally relax. There is so much to do, too much at stake. I am a full-time worker with two kids, ages three years and six months, and also a part-time student in a graduate degree [program]. It is not easy to have fun. ... I am going to ask God to teach me to play and have fun..." Not a bad idea at all! I had to laugh one day at an error message that came up on my computer: "Your system is low on virtual memory." I'm not sure what virtual memory is exactly but I sure know when my human memory isn't working. Lack of concentration and memory is one indicator of overloaded circuits. This is not just a problem in North America. From overseas a man wrote: "Though I live in a small country in Europe, I think the problem of middle-age men with a profession, family, and any other duties can be very similar. Your devotional gave a small light in our busy lives." Then from the heartland of North America, Ohio, a woman writes, "I am an Amish widowed mother of seven children. My husband died October 9, 2001. So my days sometimes seem all uphill. But sometimes it goes better. My children are ages 16, 14, 12, 10, 7, 4 and almost 2." (And I thought I was busy!) Another woman wrote, "This was just what I needed to hear. I work 40 hours a week (with my job currently transitioning into a new, more responsible position), have a large sales business on the side, and am a single mom that commutes 1-1 ½ hours each way to work." She had just decided to give up her side business even though she really enjoyed it, because, "Both my full-time position and my family were suffering. It's time for me to play." So, this morning I decided to encourage you again to put a little play into your schedule! Why not take a day this week and declare for yourself a mini-vacation, right at home. Any day will do. Just sit and watch the dog, or butterflies, or birds, or flowers. I would suggest not even reading or watching TV for at least a part of your mini-vacation. Force yourself to do nothing, and be still with your thoughts. If you have small (or even older) children, take time to do nothing but play with them. Hang out with your teenagers: if they can't stand silence, lounge in their room if they'll let you and listen to their music, or watch them play a computer game. These are all little ways to wind down and relearn the restorative power of play. All work and no play really will make you “dull.” It takes away your strength to rejoice!