From age five or six until I finally became mobile, I was fortunate to have an across the street neighbor who was my age. We lived on the "edge of town" in a new neighborhood without many houses. Those were NOT the days when Mom's main concern was play dates and running their children up and down the road to entertain them. During those early years, I have a distinct memory of playing together in the woods which surrounded our homes. Our summers were filled with playing in the deep shade of those trees.
In the midst of acres of woods, we found an old log cabin. It was small and uninhabited. Perhaps long ago it was a loggers camp, or a storage house for the farm which was once there--we did not know. We spent hours hiding among the trees, which surrounded the cabin, making up scenarios of why the cabin was there, who might be hiding in it, what it could have been used for ...on and on. There was a new theory for each and every time we happened upon it. We had no way to know the real story, so we entertained ourselves by making up the story of the day. Perhaps my love for story telling started then--before I was ten years old by letting my imagination run. What a treasured memory from my childhood.
Do our children today have the freedom, props, and space to let their imaginations go? Are we so caught up in activities that there is no time for imaginative play? Has the world become so unsafe that parents no longer feel the freedom to allow their children alone time to play? My children often laugh about playing until dark when they heard me call them home for dinner. I knew the neighbors, they knew us, and everyone watched out for all of the neighborhood children. Sadly, children no longer have the opportunity for unsupervised play for fear of what might happen.
At times I really miss those sweet days of my childhood. They were filled with innocent play and no one was hovering over us in fear of what could happen. Today's world lacks that innocence. Today's children are exposed to mass school shootings, fear of abduction, non-trust of even our church leaders to name a few of the dangers lurking. We have morphed into a world of super convenience with the need for super vigilance. Our children are being robbed of the sweet innocence of their youth. I fear if they allow their imaginations to run, it might come from the fear of what might could happen.
What is the answer? God We need to push the reset button. We need to evaluate our priorities. We need to consider what is truly important. We need to think about what is best for not only our children, but us all. The way we are headed is not the answer. I pray for us all. I pray for our children. LORD HELP LOOK DOWN UPON YOUR PEOPLE WITH MERCY!
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
II Chronicles 7:14
I'm captivated by that little log cabin, Lulu. The stories it could tell, the shelter it provided, the ones it protected. Fascinating. And yes, those were the days ...
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