Rest Play and Recreation

Play, rest, and recreation are just as vital to the functioning of the cosmos as our work. This is not to say you cannot accomplish work in the course of your restful activities. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we will separate the two areas.

In your present material mode of existence, there is a far clearer demarcation between work and play, toil and leisure, than you shall ever experience again. It has often been said that the most difficult part of any project is the laying of the foundation, and you are now laying the spiritual foundation for your long, long universe career. Therefore this period is difficult for you, very difficult, as your perception of the level of difficulty is most likely greatest now compared to what you will perceive at any later time in your existence.

Because of this difficulty that is built into the imperfect and material existence on an imperfect planet, every unit - no matter how small - of work is experienced as an ordeal and the departure from work has heightened meaning in contrast. On your planet you call the activities you choose to participate in when not working, "playing", "leisure", "recreation", "rest", among other things I shall define the three areas that I wish to address in this discussion: play, recreation and rest. We shall start with rest.

Rest

Rest encompasses the activities that the being undertakes in order to allow it's functioning parts to re-achieve homeostasis after their use, just as an engine, for example, would need a period of non-use between periods of use to optimize it's overall function. This is also true for living beings, and indeed the tissues of your body are composed in such a fashion that periods of rest enable them to repair any damage done, replenish energy supplies, and sometimes grow to meet ongoing demands for performance. This applies to all tissues of your body, including not only your connective structures such as bone, tendons, muscles, but also your organs, heart, liver, kidneys intestines, brain, glands; all of your working parts require rest. Additionally, rest enables your Thought Adjuster to more gracefully depart when necessary and to work out useful strategies to assist you in your life mission, including your own personal growth and development. So you can see, my friends, that rest is indeed critical to you.

Play

Play is different from rest although your participation in play activities can enhance your rest periods. Play is that set of activities in which one undertakes self-mastery in order to achieve solutions to problems of spirit growth and development. Your Thought Adjuster is quite active in it's interaction with you during your periods of play, and you are - believe it or not - frequently in direct communication with Father when you are truly at play. This definition of play may be surprising or even startling to some of you who may have understood the concept quite differently. But there is no part of play that involves conflict with fellow beings, faulty pride, greed or other of the base elements of behavior that we know accrue to imperfectly created beings of animal origins.

Play is a very important part of your activities that contribute to personal spirit growth. You learn how to play from your parents, from your siblings, peers and friends. If you desire to improve your capacity for play, you may wish to consult with your indwelling adjuster during periods of quiet time.

Recreation

Recreation involves activities which are outer directed although they do not necessarily involve direct
interaction with other beings. You will find as you review your own life that much of your personal recreation is in the company of others. Recreation may be defined as that set of non-work activities by which, one means or another, fellowship is enhanced between yourself and others. Yes, this may include your quiet time alone. It may be an adjunct to your work activities, or your worship activities, or even your play activities. But what sets recreation apart is that quality of fellowship attainment which invariably results when true recreation has been achieved.

You may ask, “Is this meeting a recreational activity?” and the answer is “most likely.” There are elements of recreation in this particular meeting because of your interactions with the others who are present. Certainly recreation is a vital element of this teaching mission. It is much hoped that the fellowship of the participants and their cap to further capacity with others will be enhanced through this mission. And we have indeed seen evidence to support this thus far.

Now you may ask that those definitions of rest play and recreation do not fit with our present cultural
definition of these activities. And the answer is “yes, that is true.” But the definitions I give you, my friends, are not meant to be in accord with your present state, but rather the next step of evolutionary development beyond this one. And indeed, the definitions of rest, recreation and play will change and change again with each step forward that you take as you ascend in your universe careers. However, their basic elements will remain the same.

You may ask; “Do perfect beings require rest, recreation and play?” And the answer is “Yes, but for different reasons than you do at this stage of your development.” Although perfectly created beings do not “wear out”, so to speak, with the passage of time or the burden of work. Nonetheless, rest is required for spiritual purposes in these beings. Indeed, even Father in Paradise requires rest. But a perfect being knows when to rest and an imperfect being must learn.

Question: In recreation, no matter what we do - whether it's rest, recreation, or toil - to keep the mind on
God is the good thing to do. Is that correct? It is the intelligent thing to do, correct? Am I understanding
that correctly?

Answer: Yes.