Joy is part of God’s design for creation. The One who spun galaxies like sugar and flung stars against the midnight sky also dreamed that we would laugh, dance, tumble, imagine, and delight. Play is for all God’s children, and it is sacred. It is one way the Holy teaches us to breathe again and return to ourselves.

God of Delight, help us to remember that we are far more than what exhausts us. Show us that freedom has a rhythm and hope a melody. Make our delight a spiritual discipline. May play slow us down. May it return us to ourselves. May we learn that freedom is practiced, sung, and danced. For every moment of spontaneous joy, for every burst of laughter, for every space where our spirits can stretch and soar—we give you thanks. Amen.