The Power Of Play

Creativity is as natural and miraculous as the blossoming of a flower at the end of a slender green stem. It is the blocking of creativity that is unnatural. –Julia Cameron

You may not have considered yourself a particularly “creative” person. But think about it… As a born-from-above son of God who is one with the Creator, how could you not be creative? Just like the natural result of intimacy between two people is procreation, the supernatural result of intimacy with God is co-creation. Your creativity may manifest on the stock exchange, on the tennis court, in the classroom or in the kitchen. But whether you and the Father create something we consider “miraculous” like a missing body part or something we consider ordinary like a poem, it is still creativity, and it is still the same process.

God’s very name, YHVH, speaks of co-creating with Him, as the two Hebrew letter hei‘s represent us breathing Him in and breathing Him out. This shows clearly that for both creativity and co-creation, there must be an infilling and a release, a receiving and a pouring out, a breathing in and breathing out. If you become either depleted or stagnant, you will not be able to freely and lavishly create.

Breathe In
The most important part of breathing in is abiding in the Vine – not trying to be one with God, but remembering that you already are. From this place of oneness, you breathe in His love, breathe in His revelation, breathe in His presence. You must make time in your life to breathe, carving out a quiet space free of distraction, so that you are able to hear the “still, small voice” that is your lifeline. You breathe in any time you enjoy music, art, nature, beauty, creative solitude, relaxation, mystery… and fun.

The Power of Play
God is creative and fun! Just look at His creation, and you will see that there are some weird and hilarious creatures out there. For example, take the Macropinna microstoma, a fish that lives about 2,000 feet underwater and has a transparent forehead through which you can actually see the lenses of its eyes. How about the red-lipped batfish? This fellow lives near the Galapagos Islands and looks like he has just put red lipstick on his ginormous lips. Then there’s the Honduran white bat, a tiny, grey bat with a nose and ears that look like huge, yellow leaves. There’s the pacu, a fish that has teeth just like a human. Creepy. Let’s not forget the Gobi jerboa, a rodent with ears almost three times as large as his head. And there’s the aye-aye, the world’s largest nocturnal primate. This little guy has grey, Albert Einstein-looking hair and huge yellow eyes. He lives in Madagascar and eats grubs, which he taps on hollow trees to find. My point is this: God is interesting. He is creative. And, He is fun. Because the creative process is about aligning with Him in order to display Him and to manifest your miracle, play is not optional! Co-creation is meant to be fun, and the little child shows us the way. If you believe the lie that creativity is frivolous, unspiritual, selfish or just for “other people,” how will you create with God? How will you paint heaven on the canvas of earth? Creating is all about being a playmate with God, so if you’ve forgotten how to play, you may want to…remember!

Studies show that play allows us to fine-tune our motor skills and develop healthy social skills, empathy and emotional resilience. It helps us to learn our limitations, develop confidence, handle stress and bounce back from failure. And it is crucial for healthy brain development, especially in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and decision making. Dr. Stuart Brown investigated the play background of 6,000 people and concluded that play is … necessary for a sense of optimism and fulfillment, for a sense of competency, and for a sense of authentic self.

If you are not in the habit of having fun, try scheduling time each week to have a fun date with God and with yourself. Don’t have a “go big or go home” mentality, where you wait until your Tahitian vacation for some “real fun.” Make a list of small, inexpensive, fun things that you can do to breathe in and to nurture the inner creator in you.

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play,
his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation,
his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which.
He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does,
leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.
To him, he’s always doing both.
–James Michener

This is an excerpt from my book, Miracles Are Normal: Co-Creating Through Oneness With God. You can purchase paperback or digital copies from my website here: Miracles Are Normal. And you can purchase from Amazon here: Miracles Are Normal on Amazon

Have fun!!
Until next time,
Virginia

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