Go get the fun.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to talk about our base value Fun at morning worship. Base values are things that we have decided as a YWAM community to prioritise in our lives. Things we commit to doing regardless of the cost. They are: Knowing God, making Him known, being visionary, holiness, communitas and fun. When I first came here to be honest I thought "fun?! Why is that something we need to commit to doing at any cost? I have fun anyway, you don't need to tell me to have fun" and I thought it was a bit lame. Because at that time it was so easy for me to have fun. I had heaps of energy, time and friends. Who doesn't have fun?!

Then I got busy. I took on more responsibility in the shops and was so tired by the time I left work that I didn't have the energy or motivation to get out and do things. All I talked about was work, it filled my brain and my spare time. And I stopped having or being any fun. It sucked. I felt like no one wanted to be around me, that I had forgotten how to have or be fun and I had lost a big part of who God made me to be.

Until I was invited to Zumba. For those unfamiliar, Zumba is a big dance party in a dim room with disco lights masquerading as a fitness class. You're supposed to try to follow this energetic lady bouncing around at the front and the side effect is you get a bit fitter. The main result was I had fun. My gosh this is so much fun for me. For that hour I didn't think about indents and rosters and banking and stockchecks. This was my release and it made such a difference. I began to prioritise it in my schedule and Wednesday became the day I would actually leave work on time.

This was the first time in my life I've had to be intentional about having fun. And the first time I understood how essential it is. Proverbs says that a joyful spirit is health to the body but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Sorry I think I'm mixing translations there but you get the drift. Fun makes me more relaxed, it helps me to process things, it helps me to let things go. It straight up makes me happier. But sometimes we go through seasons where life isn't fun and opportunities to have fun don't swing past our door. And if that happens to you I'd encourage you to go out of your door and find the fun. It might not be Zumba for you, for some people that's their worst nightmare after that one about being chased by Big Bird. Go and have some of your fun. And if you don't know what your fun is, go and find out. Be intentional. Value it.

Go get the fun!

Kerie, Mallory, Kodan, Bryan and I then made everyone do Zumba. Enforced compulsory fun! Thanks to Claudie for the video.