Reclaiming The Gift

Do you remember when you were a child and you played? It’s not something we dwell on, but maybe it should be. Do you remember the favorite game you played with your neighborhood friends? Did you play house, become your favorite superhero or fight evil dragons? Think back, go ahead, I’ll wait…don’t stop…ok, got it? How do you feel? That’s the magic of child-likeness, something we begin to grow out of after the age of 7 or 8. I’m willing to bet your child-like memory included at least these 3 things, perhaps more, 1) Curiosity, 2) Experimentation (*exploration), and 3) Action (*risk taking).

As we grow older, we are taught a new set of skills that sounds something like this, 1) Inquiry, 2) Fact finding, 3) Planning and 4) Producing, which better get results, or else. Is it any wonder that we struggle as Creatives, when we leave behind the magic of child-likeness and replace it with To-Do lists, over extended calendars and serving everyone else’s needs before our own? 

What would happen if you put yourself first? What would happen if you made yourself number 1? There is One who sees you that way every day, 24/7, 365 days a year. He saw you that way before you were born and He will see you that way when you walk with Him in eternity (Psalm 139:13-18). Why? Because He designed you a specific way, to use your child-likeness to care for others (Ephesians 2:10). Oh! Did I mention you both have that in common? Child-likeness? That’s the quality required to create (Genesis 1:1). An image will always reflect the original (Genesis 1:26,27).

If you have lost your way. If you have found yourself drowning in To-Do lists, over extended calendars and others vying for your attention, I want to encourage you to step away, just for a moment. Take a deep breath and go back to the memory of your favorite childhood game or activity. In that moment, make a decision to reclaim the magic of your child-likeness. The next morning put yourself first, it only takes 5 or 10 minutes, the price of a cup of coffee. As you give yourself the gift of time, reclaim the gift of child-likeness. It starts with Curiosity, which leads to Experimentation (*and exploration), and before you know it, you will take Action (risk and abandonment) and Create.