Recreation & rest

I think most people would agree that recreation is a great way to enter into joy. Whether it's reading a book, a theme park, the theatre or the zoo, doing something fun can be a sure way to joy. On the same note, I would suggest that a really good night's sleep can have the same effect.

So here's what I am thinking...what if joy is a choice, and what if tiredness can make us blind to that choice or dismissive of that choice? What if recreation is a means of taking a break from routine and monotony? What if recreation is actually a form of resting? We do after all say "A change is as good as a rest."

If that is the case then as well as making the obvious choices to be intentional about recreation, maybe our joy would also increase if we took more time to rest. What if being well rested would mean we came across joy more often - partly because we would not be not too tired to choose it? What if being well rested would amplify the joy we found? If this is so, then maybe getting to bed earlier would have an impact on how much joy we enjoy.

Interestingly the Hebrew word for "rest" literally means "to be recreated." Matthew 11:28