Piloting Faith: My two-year-old friend taught me...

A Word for the Day...
I have forgotten how to play. I sit in front of Legos and toy cars and stuffed animals, and I freeze. What should I do with these objects? Organize them? Color-code and label them? Store them away? This past weekend my 2-year-old buddy, Ethan, came to my rescue.
Ethan and I got to spend a few hours together playing. He taught me. We would stack cans on top of each other into a big tower, and then he would get this mischievous grin on his face. With a swift swing of his arm, they would go flying across the room. BAM! He would squeal with joy. I was thinking "Look at the mess!" He was thinking, "What fun! Let's stack them all, and do it again!" Then we played with Play-Doh. I created a perfect ball. He took it and smashed it into a blob. Laughing, he would hand it back to me and say "Again, Cam! Again!" Over and over, adventure after adventure, we played our hearts out.
Then something beautiful happened to me. I found delight in his delight. I wanted to start smashing our towers and squishing our Play-Doh. I wanted to run in the yard and kick a ball and roll toy trucks through the dirt...just to feel the simple joy of playing.
Ethan is a gift in so many ways, but I am indebted to him for teaching me that making a mess is marvelous fun and being playful is at the heart of a well-lived life. I hope you find time to play today.
- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Prayer for the Week
Meditate on these words of affirmation:
Hear the Good News! God has loved you, loves you now and will always love you. This is the good news which brings us new life. Thanks be to God.