Family fun

"Rejoice evermore..." I Thessalonians 5:16

Good morning, dear friends!

Ever wonder what a missionary does for fun?

Consider the unique challenges for the missionary on its field, and their "fun times" will be very different.  Even though we live in a western European field, with many modern conveniences, the American-style fun that so many enjoy is just not available.  So what do we do for fun?

Friday nights are set aside as our family fun-times.  I usually start off preparing a "fun" meal, usually handheld.  Yesterday it was quesadillas and  jalapeño poppers, and cookies for dessert.  We often have board games or a fun video to watch.  Sometimes our coworkers come by and we have a "game night."

My family has a "Family Fun" jar.  We toss in our small change, and decide what family outing toward which we will be saving.  Even the kids contribute.  One time it was bowling.  Another time we were able to afford a visit to an aquarium, all from our "spare" change.

In between Fridays and these special outings, we go on walks.  We play board games.  We play badminton outside, or build Legos.  We pull all the covers off our big bed and wrestle and have ticklefests.  Many times these special moments are not planned.  They just happen, and everyone goes to bed with a smile on their face.

There are several passages in the Bible that come to mind when I think about a "merry heart." Three of them are in the book of Proverbs.  Each verse has a different lesson for me as I start my day today:

1.  What goes on in the inside, shows up on the outside.  Proverbs 15:13 reminds me, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."  It has almost become trite to say, "You are never fully dressed without a smile," but how true it is in real life! Smiles are a rare commodity, because hearts are heavy!  One time, on a rare occasion when my family was in a restaurant here, I had my children look around the restaurant and tell me if they saw anyone smiling.  There weren't, and that was in a restaurant where dining out should be a pleasure!  If I have joy in my heart, it will show up on my face, and others will notice.

2.  A happy heart satisfies my deepest hungers.  Proverbs 15:15 explains that "all the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."  I don't know if you have ever been invited to someone's house for a meal that seems to have no end, but I have been to several.  Just when you think you should be heading towards dessert or a diabetic coma, out will come another plate, or even whole course!  The Bible compares having a merry heart to a continual feast.  Imagine constantly being filled with good food, and just when you think it's run out, there's another course to eat.  If I will train my heart to be happy, I will never run out of reasons to praise the Lord.

3.  Not all medicine has to taste bad.  In Proverbs 17:22, I read that "a merry heart doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones."  My children before taking any medicine will always ask me, "Is this the medicine that tastes good, or tastes bad?" I can't always remember what flavors are good to them or not, so sometimes I tell them yes, and then get rewarded with horrified looks and shudders as the medicine goes down.  There is one medicine that will always be a pleasure as it heals, and that is a merry heart!

I cannot help but pause when I read the second half of these verses:

"...by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." (15:13)

"...all the days of the afflicted are evil..." (15:15)

"...but a broken spirit drieth the bones..." (17:22)

Do I want my life to be characterized by a sorrowful heart, a broken spirit, an afflicted person with evil days, or a dried up skeleton with no substance?

Or do I want my life to be lightened and encouraged by a merry heart?

I know which one I hope to choose today...