One Valentine’s weekend after a long and weary day of travel and meetings, I was looking forward to a hot shower, the quiet of my hotel room, and a good book. As I entered my room, I saw the lights were on and the room was filled with red and pink balloons. Oh, my! Immediately, my face turned red and I quickly backed out thinking, I crashed someone’s party!
But then my wife called down the hall to bring me back. She had booked a flight to arrive after me in the same city and decorated my hotel room for Valentine’s. What a fun surprise!
Marriage should be a fun place to grow where we learn to laugh together—and how to laugh at ourselves. We need to recapture pure fun in our relationship.
Are you having fun in your marriage?
It sounds like a ridiculous question, doesn’t it? After all, most of us got married because we liked being together and doing fun things.
But after a few years of marriage, many of us don’t even think about fun. We are just trying to get through the day—keeping up with a household of kids, finding money to pay bills, figuring out how to be at two different ballgames at once … Who has time for fun in marriage, anyway?
Yes, life has its share of disappointments, debts, doubts, and trials. We all get sapped of energy. Yet like a shaft of sunlight, fun and laughter can illuminate our world by reminding us life is not supposed to be so serious. A Christian marriage ought to be found guilty of having too much wholesome fun rather than too little. Marriages that stop enjoying each other slowly slip into routine and boredom.
Playfulness refreshes our souls and lifts us out of the daily ruts. It drives away the drab, dull, and the mundane. It lightens our loads and knits our hearts together.
Add the fun back in.
Try something new together. My wife and I recently began square dancing lessons. Oh, what a hoot! To our delight, we met a great group of people who graciously encourage us through our mess-ups and enjoy helping the newbies. We look forward to this time of fun, and we are making great memories together.
Fun does not have to be elaborate or expensive. Just enjoy the moment together.
Here are some ideas:
- Watch high school or college musicals and plays in your area.
- Walk through a botanical garden when flowers are in bloom.
- Explore antique stores or visit a farmer’s market.
- Hike the trails at a state park, especially during the fall foliage.
- Stay at a bed and breakfast in your own hometown.
- Enjoy what your town offers seasonally. Each December, my wife and I visit a nearby hotel with a two-story Christmas tree. We sit and sip coffee in the lounge area.
- Visit a lodge, sit by the fire, and enjoy the view.
- Volunteer together.
A glimpse of heaven.
A friend once shared a childhood memory that gave me a better perspective on the value of enjoying life.
He told me about visiting his grandpa’s big Texas ranch house. Grandpa had a dog named Sadie who would find a cool spot under the house on summer nights. There, my friend would join Sadie and look up through the ranch house floorboards to catch the glimmer of house lights. He would lie there and listen to all the fun and laughter going on inside Grandpa’s house.
Now, when my friend looks up on a starry night, he remembers Grandpa’s big ranch house. He imagines he is looking up through the floorboards of heaven where there is fun and laughter going on.
Perhaps making time for fun and laughter in this life is just practice for what is going on in our heavenly Father’s house.
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