Work as Play

I do not often think of work as play.

I usually think of work as…well…work.  It does not tend to be the place I look to for fun or enjoyment.  My job pays the bills, and I take pride in performing my job to the best of my abilities, but it does not tend to be “fun.”

I am a teacher, and this profession is possibly one of the most demanding I could have chosen for myself.  Highly introverted by nature, my job is anything but a friend to introverts.  If I am not interacting with students then its colleagues or parents or the ever-dreaded, all-to-frequent meetings.  Even on good days, which I have far more often now than I have in the past, I am still exhausted by the time I get home.  Work is not play to me.

This realization struck home yesterday when I spent hours immersed in creating an end-of-the-year unit.  At this point in the school year, state testing is done, district testing is almost done, and I am wrapping up my curriculum.  Given that the last few weeks of school can be chaotic in the best of years and down-right insane in the worst of them, I do not mind ending the year with something a little less high-stakes and a lot more flexible. 

The catch – I have to create whatever it is I want to teach.  However, this is where I actually have fun with teaching.  Yesterday reminded me of this fact as I created an engaging, easily-adjusted (hugely important for the end of the year scheduling changes) mythology unit.  I may have just let out a happy sigh. 

I have been exhausted.  This past month has been agony in so many ways.  I could not wait to get to May (tomorrow!).  So, I entered this weekend wanting to try and recoup whatever energy I could before Monday.  I spent most of Saturday helping lay floor in my sister’s new house – a nice break from the norm – and then I sat down to work, something I normally abhor over the weekend, but the hours starting slipping by.  I could hardly switch my focus to think about dinner or to even engage during dinner – I kept thinking about my project and what I wanted to do with it next.  Before I knew it, it was 10pm and I seriously needed to think about going to bed.  Thank goodness I was at a stopping point, or I may have continued working for a few more hours.  Night owl, I am not – except when I get into my flow.  And this was for work!

The flow mode is a state where a person is so absorbed by their task that they lose all sense of time and are completely focused on what they are doing.  (Check out this article if you are interested in more information on the flow state.)  This hyper-focused work state is actually a mental state that promotes relaxation, lessens anxiety, and can even energize you (yes, please!).  I absolutely felt these benefits last night.  Yes, I was tired – I had been working all day, but I was also more relaxed than I had been in weeks, and a sense of well-being and peace permeated my soul. 

I felt whole in a way that I had not for weeks.

I was doing things I loved and was good at– research, writing, making connections, and promoting learning – all the while knowing I would get to share something I was passionate about with my students.  I felt like I was making the most of my God-given talents in a way that I don’t normally feel.  Sure, I use many of my God-gifts, skills, and talents on any given day – patience, organization, kindness, empathy, long-suffering forbearance (patience on steroids, I think).  This time, it was something more though. 

The apostle Paul writes in Colossians, “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:17, CSB).  My hours of work felt holy and beautiful and joyous.  It was a time when everything God had given me came into play, and it resulted in a work of art (even if it was a teaching unit!).  I sat back at the end of my efforts and could only marvel at the process and flow of creativity and connection.

And all I could say was “Thank you, Jesus.”

No, I was not doing Bible study nor was I listening to worship music or in the middle of prayer, but I was honoring God by using the skills, talents, knowledge, and passion He has given me.  By the end of the day, it seemed like God had been with me the whole time enjoying the process of creating with me.  After all, is He not the original Creator?  I have to imagine that He takes just as much pleasure in His creation partaking in their own creative endeavors – what better way could we honor Him?