Fun

Fun

I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

“DID YOU JUST SNORT?” I asked, taking a sip of my favorite tea, glancing at Aaron over the cup rim. The house was quiet, and we were relaxing for a few minutes before we, too, trundled off to bed.

“Maybe” came out as a croak as Aaron dissolved into giggles, wiping tears as he fought for control over the laughter that finally won, bubbling up and out, rendering him speechless as the giggles turned into guffaws that left him crying and gasping for breath.

My husband rarely loses control emotionally, and I found myself staring at him in bewilderment before I also succumbed. Laughter—the real kind—is contagious, and soon I, too, was gasping for breath.

It had been a rough couple of months, and a friend’s social media post asking for memes had gathered over one thousand silly/funny/groan-worthy responses. I’d been quietly chuckling over the thread for days before pulling it up and handing the phone to Aaron.

And that silly thread is what had Aaron and me laughing like loons in the midst of hard times and hard things. As we worked to get ourselves finally back under control, I realized how desperately we’d needed those few minutes of uncontrollable, stomach-clenching laughter.

It’s so easy to fall into a rhythm of unrelenting responsibility to the point that having fun feels immature and frivolous, a waste of time when more pressing needs await. And while we are called to be reliable and responsible, laughter—the gut-clenching, tears-streaming kind—is refreshing and life-giving for our souls. We need fun to counteract all the hard, and God knows this. He tells us to have fun, to enjoy food and life as a counterbalance to our work.

Lord, invite us into something fun today, whether it be laughter or an activity that brings us pure, unadulterated joy. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Pull a harmless prank, find a great joke to tell, or otherwise act like the twelve-year-old trapped in your adult body. Intentionally seek out something funny or do something fun today.