Let me begin with a story:
Many creation stories tell that in the beginning, there was only the creator that was perfect within itself. After a while, this creator wanted to experience new things so it started playing. Out of this play came many things in the physical universe: bright, shiny things called the stars; round, spinning things called planets and other objects that fell into either both categories or neither. Suddenly the material realm had form where none had existed before.
The was indeed a new experience for the creator, who until this point, had never had a physical form before. Suddenly the creator knew what it was like to be a white hot star in the Orion constellation (only it wasn't Orion then ~ that would come later) or a shell of dirt and rock surrounding a core of molten iron in a distant arm of a spiral galaxy. It knew what it was to a wave splashing upon the rocky coast or to flow gently as a stream across a quiet glade. The creator could even be a small flower braving the tundra and showing its colors, despite the cold. After a while, animals and other beings were created thoughout the universe. But it wasn't enough.
The creator knew that there was so much more to experience but for once, it was at a loss. How to go about experiencing something that it didn't know anything about, except that it was missing?
Finally, the creator came up with an idea. It would create vessels that would carry a spark of itself, thereby allowing it to experience the physical plane in a new way. In order to insure that the creator would experience new things, it gave these new vessels free will. They would be able to do as they pleased, although the creator would also be able to speak to them as well, if they were willing to listen. The creator had found what it was missing ~ feelings, emotions, and sensations such as taste, touch, seeing, hearing, smell. It was good and things have been interesting ever since.