Entering a Child’s World: The Joy of Play

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Imagine yourself running across the yard with a child, both of you laughing and trying to keep a small ball balanced inside a hat. The “goal” is simple: pass it back and forth without dropping it. You zigzag, giggle, and shout encouragement to each other. “Your turn! Don’t drop it, while the ball wobbles and tumbles more times than you could count.

It’s not a serious game, but in those moments, something more profound is happening. You’re not just playing with the child, you’re entering their world. A world full of imagination, joy, and connection. Through play, walls come down. Children feel seen, valued, and understood when we join them where they are.

So often, as adults, we forget what it’s like to see the world through a child’s eyes. We get busy, serious, and practical, but play invites us to slow down and rediscover wonder. When we stoop down to their level, laugh with them, and take joy in something as simple as a wobbly ball in a hat, we show children that they matter. We show them that their ideas, laughter, and excitement are worth sharing.

That silly game is a reminder of what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Just as each of you has a role in keeping the ball moving, God designed us to work together, every one of us essential, no matter how small we might feel. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”

When one of us drops the ball, another can pick it up. When one is tired, someone else can carry the load for a bit. That’s how the family of God works, side by side, helping, encouraging, and growing together.

In that moment of play, we can see it so clearly: we need each other. The game wouldn’t have been much fun alone. It took two people, giving, receiving, adjusting, and laughing through the drops, to make it work. The same is true in our lives of faith. God never intended for us to go it alone. We are built for connection, for teamwork, and for love in action.

When we play with children, we teach them these truths without even saying a word. We show them how to be patient when things don’t go as planned, how to cheer each other on, and how to try again after a mistake. Every time the ball falls and we pick it up again, we model grace. Every laugh shared is a small reflection of the joy God delights to see in His children.

Play isn’t wasted time. It’s a meaningful connection. It’s where trust grows, love deepens, and we show that being part of God’s family means doing life together, whether that’s serving, praying, or just passing a ball back and forth in a hat.

So the next time a child invites you into their world, to run, pretend, build, or imagine, say yes. Step into the moment. Let it remind you of the beautiful way God designed us to live and move as one body in Christ, learning from one another and finding joy in every shared moment.