I think we can all agree that life can be difficult. It can try our patience, push us into situations that make us uncomfortable and require us to approach things with more self-control than we’d always like. Because of that, may I lovingly encourage you to… goof off?
I’m serious. Take time out of your busy schedule and just do something silly that gives you a belly laugh.
We’re taking ourselves way too seriously, people. We’re offended by all kinds of things, bothered by what someone hundreds of miles away says and traumatized by the political climate in our country. I’m not saying these things are not important or valuable, what I am saying, is that you can still be silly. Life is equal parts rough and funny. We just don’t ever look at things that way. We’ve been programmed in such a way that silliness is seen as a pitfall, a character flaw. However, like everything, there is a time and a place for it.
This Christmas season may I challenge you? Try to cram in: a ride on a carousel, sliding down something, jumping on a trampoline, or asking the ticket taker at your local theater if, “this is where the pornographic films are shown”. BTW, my dad actually does that last one on a regular basis.
Just, my goodness, find your inner kid. It’s there. Nurture that silly-side, find the comedy in life or your doomed to wallow in the tragedy of it. Ecclesiastes 3, is one of those sections of scripture I always think about, when I contemplate the importance and necessity of letting loose, and laughing, and being a bit kid-like:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
When was the last time you genuinely did something for the simple reason that it was fun, or it would make you laugh? If you can’t remember, why? Why are you taking yourself so seriously? Hey, I get it…. we’re not always feeling 100%, we get anxious, we worry. BUT… to seek out fun, or a minuscule moment of escape, cannot be bad for you. Don’t embrace escapism, to everything there is a balance required, but DO look for the opportunities to enjoy yourself and the people in your life. Don’t kill that kid that lives inside all of us. That kid that still gets scared, and wants to crawl under the covers. That kid that still wants to dance and twirl around. That kid that still wants a picture with Santa… my goodness, DO THAT! Life will be there tomorrow. Your problems will not magically go away because you allowed yourself to laugh… but for that split second that you WERE laughing … you forgot.
Be silly people… I’m convinced it’s good for you.
Merry Christmas!