That was a few of my granddaughters answering a few impromptu questions as we were together for our annual Mimi+ Papi Camp.

As we get older play tends to get pushed out for productivity. I believe our spirits still long for the spontaneous spurts of playfulness and exploring but feel the responsible thing to do is set those desires aside and do something productive.

My mother and father held a camp for all of mine and my siblings kids every summer and it was such a great way for all of the cousins to be together and stay connected as they got older. As well as the special and sacred opportunity for my mom and dad to speak into the lives of our kids. Sharing life experiences and wisdom with them while hanging out together in the kitchen or doing some fun activity together.  So before I ever had grandchildren of my own I knew this was a tradition we wanted to continue.

I thought it was fitting if you’re starting week 7 in the summer journal called SUmmer Play that it feel at this time.

Because play is what we have done the past few days!!!

One of the beautiful gifts that children give us is the invitation to play.

It’s as natural as breathing.

And as you just heard  verbalized by one of my granddaughters as she so thoughtfully named the different things she likes to do …one of them twirling That she preceded to do as she told us haha

Play doesn’t have to be fancy or cost money. And can happen at any time.

A lot of the time taking some time to play would probably be the most productive thing you could do for your mind and body.

I mentioned the camp we did for our grandchildren this year and the 2 oldest that are 5 are the only ones that stay over for the night at this point because of age.

So the morning of day 2 my husband and I were sitting with the 2 oldest and were talking with them about how intentional God was when he created them. And how incredible it is to be a woman. How God took from Adams side to form her which goes to explain the meaning of the word that GOD originally spoke when referring to woman. 

He called her “ezer kenegdo” which means alongside, or counterpart. We talked about why I have the word EZER tattooed on my wrist…to remind me that  The root word for ezer is a rescuer or an ally a warrior that is a skilled companion and partner.

In a world that is trying to equate being a female to wearing a dress and makeup. I want to make sure they understand that God has a reason he designed us the way that he has. And it has nothing to do with our personality or style preferences but has everything to do with our purpose.

My husband shared a powerful story that he grew up hearing in his family about a simple obedient woman in the town his great grandparents lived in that obeyed what the holy spirit was telling her to do and in the middle of the day walked to his great grandparents house and shared with them what God had put on her heart. That changed the course of their families lives for generations.

I shared a story from a book that was passed on to me after my mother passed a few years ago called “girls of the  bible”   the chapter title was 2 sisters who loved Jesus.  Which when I read that one of my granddaughter blurted out it was Mary…and she had a brother that got sick. 

I got choked up as I was reading through the story and got to part where Jesus answered Martha’s request for him to tell Mary to come help her…

I’m thinking about his response to her this morning as I staring at the weekly focus in my summer journal called Summer Play.

This is definitely an area I have grown in this last decade but I still have to talk my self down when I feel myself like Mary rising up in frustration for the responsibilities in front of me and feeling like time is crashing in around me to get something done and I have to stop and take a deep breath and remind myself that everything will be fine…and will get done and i don’t have to lose my peace over that process.

And most of the time it’s an expectation that I have placed on myself

I hope you are creating the space for play in your life this summer and sitting undistracted at the feet of Jesus.

Sitting at his feet might look like spending time with him sitting in your favorite comfy chair, or it could look like you reading and writing your heart and mind focused on him in the midst of a crowded noisy coffee shop

It’s not about the circumstances around you…

They might be messy and noisy

And yet you can still be still and know that he is your God in the midst of it all.