Go Play Outside: Releasing My Worries to Connect with God
By Jessica Brodie
I’ve always been a serious-minded person. While I’m filled with joy and laughter, I admit my first reaction in any circumstance is to think first, react second. You know how everyone is supposed to react to danger or threat with either a “fight” or “flight” response? Mine’s “freeze”—as I think about the best way through.
I shared in last week’s blog about how God recently nudged me to produce a mini book to help people shrug off their worries and center themselves in the Lord. Called A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, the book is free for anyone who signs up for my weekly faith-based blog, Shining the Light.
Check out my related Youtube video on playing outside, here! And I hope you'll also subscribe to my YouTube channel.
This week, I’m sharing one of those tips: Go play outside. (And it’s a great tip for today, Memorial Day!)
It’s probably an odd recommendation for a cautious, serious, world-on-her-shoulders woman like me, but playing outside is a wonderful way to reconnect with God. And I have my playful hubby and four fun kids to thank for reminding me of this.
Scripture abounds with verses on the glory of creation and praise for the One who made it. And we’ve heard repeatedly that exercise plays a huge role in lifting one’s mood. Even mild cardiovascular exercise activates parts of the brain that help us think more clearly, plus releases certain happy-brain chemicals like endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine.
When we combine the two and head outside for a walk, to play with the dog, or to get other mild exercise, we get the benefit of a mood lift, plus the opportunity to be astounded by creation.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands,” Psalm 19:1 (NIV) says, and the Gospel of John reminds us that, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Remembering that while pairing it with a natural endorphin lift is a win-win.
If I’m grumpy or nervous about something and I just can’t seem to shake it, I slip on my sneakers and head outside. Sometimes I bring one of my kids along and use the time for a catch-up session or to toss a ball around, but other times it’s just me, God, and the beautiful world He created. It doesn’t even need to be a full-on workout session. Just a quick walk from my house to the neighborhood park and back usually does the trick.
You can also enjoy a hard, pounding run or bike ride—your choice.
Use your time outdoors to enjoy the world around you, to broaden your mind, to meditate on God, or to pray. Really think about your place in the world and your relationship with God. Think about how He can use you in a different or better way.
Watch the squirrels dart from tree to tree, or the birds swoop down for a worm. Watch the bees buzz around you or the gnats swarm. Nature is a busy place, and there’s a rhythm at work, a celebration going on all around you… if only you will open your eyes and notice.
“The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12b).
For more on my mini-book, click here: A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed. If you are already a subscriber to my weekly blog and you’d like your free copy of the eBook, shoot me a quick email here and I’ll send it over.
