That Sounds Fun by Annie F. DownsSample

DAY 7

Chase the Fun

Psalm 37:4, 65:9–13; John 10:10, 16:22–24

My porch is a small rectangle of cement just outside my living room. When I was quarantined in my home after an exposure to COVID-19, then joined by the rest of the world in the ensuing pandemic lockdowns, fun was hard to come by. I found myself on the porch a lot. 

Every day I plugged in the Christmas lights I had forgotten to take down. The lights made me feel like I was choosing to be in this beautiful place. I had meetings on the porch on my faded brown couch. I had meals on the porch. I sat on the front edge of my porch while friends drove by and waved or stopped and had a quick conversation. 

As fall approached, people in my circle started asking what we’d do if we needed to be in our homes again for an extended time. How could we live an expansive, fun life under such limitations?

I began to plan for fun, for joy, for an expansive life in my small but special condo. I received a refund for a cancelled trip and put that money toward a porch renovation. I built a privacy wall and bought a cheap outdoor television so I could watch soccer while drinking my tea. I wanted better flooring and pollen protection for my furniture. I hung some plants and washed the couch covers. I replaced the Christmas lights with new twinkly bulbs. 

I didn’t even know the porch mattered that much to me until it became the most Eden-like place in my life. It’s perfect now. I’ve created a haven, a hub for lots of fun. And it reminds me of a porch I knew thirty years ago where I snapped green beans and had no worries. 

Fun is right where you are. It is yours for the taking—connection with God and people, reminders of the best parts of your past and the dreams of your future, peace and rest. 

So chase the fun, friend. Go after it. Find what sounds fun to you, and you will find what you are really looking for.

Lord, lead me back to Eden along Your perfect path of love. Show me how to lead my fullest, most joyful life rooted in the gifts of fun You have set right in front of me.