Last October, Major League Baseball released a new slogan—”Let the kids play”—that encouraged players to show their personalities and enjoyment for the game and just have fun. It was a nice reminder for all of us to recall the joys of play in our lives. Surely, we can all remember summer nights of playing outside until dark—and often after—with friends.
In his article “At Play in the House of the Lord,” author Ed Gamboa addresses this very topic. He writes of the joy he and his wife get from spending time and playing with their granddaughter. He then wonders why we all can’t have a similarly joyful and playful relationship with God. Surely God would welcome that.
Unfortunately, these days being playful is not our default mode. We cram our schedules—as well as our kids’ and grandkids’—full with work, appointments, activities, and more. In fact, according to a number of reports, 50 percent of American workers don’t even use their vacation time from work. Those same reports list the many negative impacts of people not taking time off.
The bottom line is, we need to play, and summertime is the perfect time to do it. So, in the words of the boys of summer: Let the kids play.
