Slip-N-Slide, World of Warcraft in Mom's Basement, and God's Delight in Play

My junior year of college, through no one's fault but my own, I became suspicious of 'play.' It seemed that there were so many important things to do, not the least of which was a big God to get to know. I needed to get to work.

Once I arrived at this conclusion (somewhat sub-consciously) it became almost impossible to do anything that didn't seem productive. I felt like I could "see through" all my attempts at recreation.

I couldn't just forget myself and engage in something for fun. If I was doing something fun it was because I was trying to force myself to relax...which stressed me out, which made it hard to relax.

I know, I was (and still kind of am) neurotic. It's that over-achiever wanna-be in me.

This past Sunday, as I was in my post-Rockbridge daze, the wife and kids broke out the Slip-N-Slide for the maiden summer voyage. And my six, four, and two-year-old took to it with such a delightfully innocent reckless joy that my soul ached for gladness.

I love my kids. But in that moment I took particular delight in their enjoyment of the divine mixing of plastic and water. I wanted us all to stay frozen in that moment forever--them laughing at and with one another, hurling head-long down the runway. Kelly and I sitting in plastic chairs delighting over their glad squeals in the perfect late-afternoon May sun.

And in that moment the Lord again reminded me of the lesson he's had to teach and re-teach me over the years: he delights in our play. The Good Father delights in his children delighting in the world that he gave them to play in.

If I can enjoy my kids that much as they careened head-long down the Slip-N-Slide, how much more delight does the Father have as we play cards with friends, read a good book, throw a Frisbee, go on a long walk, throw a mean party.

Of course in our culture we've taken entertainment and turned it into a god. As such, play gets wrenched from its rightful place in our lives and tyrannizes rather than blesses many of us. If you're 35 and still living in your parents basement playing World of Warcraft 'til 3 a.m, you're exactly who I'm talking about. And there are, alas, plenty of other pictures of play gone wrong.

But for those of us who struggle with over-seriousness, it's high time we repent of all that self-importance and learn how to play. Maybe next time, I'll be the one leading the lemming-like charge down the twelve feet of glorious plastic famously known as "the Slip-N-Slide."