To begin with, and this is important, Legos are always better than Duplos. Legos rule; Duplos drool. Okay, so you can’t swallow a Duplo. (Thank you for that insight.) However, as every kid knows, you also can’t do nearly as many amazing things with those over-sized, Lego-wanna-be bricks. I get it, Duplos are safer, but life, real life, was never meant to be that safe.

Now that we have that issue settled, let’s consider some cool lessons about life learned from Legos.

1. It’s fun to build.

Created in God’s image, it’s our human nature to form and build. Some build with tools. Some craft with paint, music or words, but creating something is fun. In fact, our lives get terribly boring unless we are designing and producing. It’s in our DNA. So, what are you building?

2. Sometimes life is like a box of pieces (lots and lots of pieces).

About the time you hit puberty, a truth hits you: life is often complicated, full of the unexpected and the unknown. As hard as we try to manage all the pieces, life is rarely simple. We can fight that reality or embrace it. We can resent or attempt to ignore all the pieces we don’t understand, or we can trust God and ask for His help. I vote for getting help.

3. Purpose matters more than color.

It really doesn’t matter what color Lego you use; it’s the function (i.e. role or purpose) that matters most, not the color. I’m not suggesting that you operate color-blinded. However, what you do with any given piece is far more important than whether it’s white, red, yellow, black or brown. When it comes to life, some focus on a person’s color when they need to concentrate on character and God-given purpose.

4. Sharing can be difficult, but it also can double the fun.

What I can build is not nearly as cool as what you and I can build together. In fact, when I combine my skills and gifts with yours, we can create something awesome! Selfish hoarding leads to second-rate living. Sacrificing, sharing leads to abundant life.

5. It’s okay to start over.

Do-overs are allowed with Legos and with life. Sometimes, you get it right; sometimes you don’t. Just learn from your attempts, mistakes, and failures, and keep building.

6. Imagination is a gift.

I love to watch my six-year-old grandson, Caleb, play with his Legos. An entire universe opens up to him as he imagines what his Lego creations can do. Plastic becomes a spaceship or a race car. His creation becomes a door to a brand-new world. Albert Einstein once said, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Maybe it’s time you dream again and use the gift of imagination God gave you to create something remarkable!

7. Nothing you and I build lasts forever. (So don’t get too attached.)

Even the pyramids won’t last for eternity. Nothing built by human hands will last indefinitely. Everything has a shelf life. Yes, build and build well. Invest in your future and in the generations who will follow in your wake. However, hold loosely to every thing, because no thing lasts forever. Only people are eternal. When you understand that fact, you’ll worry less about stuff, and care far more about relationships.

Enough said. Time to go create and build something with my grandson.