Did you know God likes to have fun? Probably. After all, He created the platypus. But did you know God likes to play word games?
A few weeks ago, I grabbed my backpack and took a walk to the coffeeshop. It’s about a thirty-minute walk, so I decided to play a game with myself and list a country or state for every letter of the alphabet. I started off strong—Australia, Brazil, Connecticut—but soon I got to J.
And I could not think of a word for J.
When you’re stuck…
Well, what do you do when you’re stuck and need help? You should ask for help. So I glanced up, not really thinking about it, and said, “God, I’m stuck on this letter. Please give me a word.” And I kept walking. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting an answer. It was one of those I’m Praying Because I’m Supposed to Pray moments.
But all at once I got a word. “Jamaica!” Yippee! I went on with the game.
Kentucky, Lithuania, Missouri, Nepal . . . all the way to R. And then I was stuck again. Russia, Rwanda, Rhode Island, all vanished from my mind (and Rhode Island doesn’t count in my opinion). So like before, I glanced up, still not expecting an answer, and said, “God, I’m stuck again. Can you give me a word for R?”
And the word came just like that. I stopped, squinted, and gave my head a shake.
I didn’t physically see or hear anything, but I had a feeling He was grinning. I sure was. I said, “Let’s do this!” and went on down the sidewalk with a spring in my step. I felt like I was walking side by side with a friend.
Are there things in your life that are closed to God?
Are there things in your life that are closed to God? I’m not talking about sins but those chores or hobbies that are just your time. I know I pray a lot over my work and sleep because I know God cares about my energy and body. But I don’t think of praying when I’m reading a book, watching a movie, or playing music.
That, or I do it casually, like I did with the word game earlier. Why would God care about the things I do for fun? Aren’t those kind of frivolous?
But that walk showed me a misunderstanding I have about God. I am His valued creation. He knew me before I was created. He gave me a love for words and a mind that plays word games. I recognize my writing as a gift from Him, but my brain and the things I love are also gifts.
And God adores me. I bet He was delighted to be invited to play. Not only did we have fun, I was reminded of how good it is to be in His presence. I often regulate those moments to just Bible time, or just worship time. I have an idea of God that I fit into personal boxes.
God breaks our boxes…
The reality, however, is our God breaks all the boxes. There should be no separation in our lives—He is just as available in our worship as He is in our chores and hobbies.
He desires to be with us, whether we’re singing or reading His Word or emptying the dishwasher or complaining about work or playing word games.
When I asked God for help, I was just thinking about myself. But the act of asking, no matter the motive, invites Him in.
He is eager to be with us, and we have a responsibility to cultivate that relationship. When we invite Him into everything—and I mean everything—things change. Which is a basic truth but one that’s so easy to forget.
After all, we don’t physically see God Himself in our day to day. We may experience Him, He may reveal Himself to us in different ways, but we don’t see Him the way we see our family and friends. But when I invited Him in, I felt like I was walking with a dear friend.
Live it out!
I want you to invite God into something, literally anything, right now.
- Ask Him to hang out.
- Tell Him you want to talk.
- Pray for His presence to enter the space you’re in.
If you’re worried that it’ll just be a waste of God’s time, you really need to invite Him in. Chances are, you’ll either experience whatever it is in an entirely different light, or you’ll see that it really is frivolous, and then you can thank God for showing you.
If we have His Holy Spirit living and working in us, He should be a part of every bit of our lives. God, the Maker of the Universe, loves us. He’s not out to get us. Call on Him, rest in His presence, recognize that He is drawing you nearer to Him.
Your actions do not make Him any more or less great. He is the Lord, He is my Lord, and I hope He is your Lord. Invite Him into your life. You won’t believe just how eager He is to be present.
Note from Vella
Thanks, Sarah for sharing a new way we can all fill our lives with light! Jesus is so present, and whimsical ways of connecting with him can be so helpful in growing our personal relationship with our Savior.
Sarah is super cool, and she writes about identity on her website. Join her newsletter here: https://sarahelizabethsax.com/subscribe/
Sarah reviewed my new book, Beyond the Mirage, on her website. And she said: “lovely prose, relatable road trip antics, a cool magic system, and a non-preachy Christian base. But what I loved most was how genuine the characters were.”
Grab your own copy and review on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4upFiM4
