I used to be quite the fun-lover.
Please notice the operative phrase there: “Used to be.”
Growing up, I was also ready for an adventure, be it catching frogs in the pond or swimming in the stock tank. In college, I was usually the first one loaded in the car when somebody said “road trip” and thoroughly enjoyed spontaneous escapades of fun.
Even when Barn and I were dating and first married, fun was easy to come by.
And then… Life happened.
We moved. (Twice.) We birthed a tiny human. God called me to some pretty crazy-awesome fitness goals. Brandon’s job is demanding.
I could go on.But I probably don’t need to. As we have grown in our marriage, we have noticed that “fun” doesn’t happen as naturally as it used to. Fun gets buried under the piles of dirty diapers, the bills, and sleep-deprived days.
Photo via Thomas Hawk @ Flickr
We have learned (and are continuing to learn) that having fun in marriage must be intentional.
God didn’t design the marriage relationship to be a business arrangement. It isn’t grim business. Yes, we should be very serious about building a Christ-like marriage, but that doesn’t mean we have to be fun haters.
Admittedly, Brandon is better at possessing a fun-having attitude than me. I seem to be much more business like these days, working in my spare moments to work out, write, and maybe rest.
Fun just doesn’t seem to fit. But we have to make it fit– even when time and money are high commodities.
So here are a few ideas that Barn and I have implemented to having more fun in our marriage.
1. Date night in. This year we are really tightening the financial belt so we can say “sayonara” to our student loans once and for all. This makes having fun a challenge, so we have to get creative. We grab a movie from RedBox ($1.29) and perhaps make a treat at home (like popcorn) or split one adult beverage as we enjoy the show from the couch. Oh, and we make sure to put away all technological devices so we can be in tune with each other. We have also spent time putting puzzles together or playing digital version of Scrabble.
2. Enjoy God’s creation. We are absolutely blessed to live in this gorgeous state of Washington. We have been here almost a year and realize there is still SO MUCH to see, do and explore– most of which only require a bit of gas money and time. Just the other day, Brandon found a park not 6 miles from our house that is right on the coast of the Puget Sound. It is like RIGHT THERE! How did we miss it? It was great fun for the three of us to take a walk, go down by the water and watch the crazy crackles (that’s what we call a group of crabs) scurry about.
3. Don’t be so dang serious. This is my hang up. Sometimes I treat the littlest things a life or death matter. Baby woke up too soon and I didn’t get as much writing done as possible? Guess what, the sun is still going to rise tomorrow. I can trust God with the ministry work and the management of this house. He wants Brandon and I to enjoy one another, unwind and have fun. So we make our best effort.
How do you and your spouse have fun? What steps do you to take to keep a balance of productive yet fun going in your relationship? I would love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation and leave a comment.
Enjoy your journey to building a Christ-like Marriage, dear friends… And remember… Have fun in the process!
Fun-loving in Jesus,
“We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” ~1 John 1:4 MSG
Linking up today with Kelli via Unforced Rhythms, Laura at Playdates with God, and Joan’s Beauty in His Grip. Oh! And be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
