"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance…
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away…"


A Time to (Not) Play?

These familiar words from Ecclesiastes resonate deeply with so many of us because we too have experienced these seasons along the journeys of our lives. We remember the times of birth and death, times of weeping and laughing. As we grow, we find ourselves in times of seeking or losing our sense of meaning, identity, relationships, and divine love. With each turn, some things are kept, while others are thrown away.

There are so many changes, so many seasons, so many times. But where does the season of play fit in? Should we be expected to play during seasons of laughing and dancing, but denied those moments during times of weeping and mourning? I hope this short meditation provides a space for personal discernment regarding your own understanding of appropriate times to play.


Meditation: Playing During the Seasons of Life

Our most enjoyable seasons are the ones filled with laughter and dancing. We abound with energy, are excited about life, about God, and excited about this world. Spend a few moments with Psalm 150. Remember those times when your actions shouted out "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!" (v. 6). As you continue to meditate, think about those moments when you've been filled with laughter or a spirit that joyfully dances around the room and the role of play in those seasons.

There are other seasons of mourning and weeping—times when you've felt alone in the world, as if the crashing waves of responsibilities for work, family, and friends were overwhelming you. Spend a few moments praying through Psalm 88. Think of moments in which you've cried out, "I am like those who have no help…like those whom you remember no more…O Lord, why do you cast me off?" (vs. 4, 5, 14). How do you express yourself during these periods of mourning and pain? Is there space for play?

Are there times when we laugh and weep at the same time, when we lament and praise within the same breath? Spend a few moments to meditate on Psalm 42. Have you ever wondered like the psalmist, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted with me?" while holding fast to the promise of "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God." (vs. 5-6a). What was your attitude toward play then?