My fondest memories of play time in July are the days I shared with my dear aunt, who was most definitely young at heart. Together we’d dress up in old clothes, usually well-worn shabby work shirts worn backwards and topped with scruffy straw hats. We were the happiest of hoboes grinning from ear to ear for the camera. I was blessed with a family of loving folks, but no one was quite as fun-loving as Emily. A fine Christian woman in every respect, she had a joyful heart. She was forty-three years older than me, but she was my best summer playmate.
Fun is a gift from God, and she embraced that idea fully. The Bible tells us, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” Proverbs 15:13. “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4. Having fun and maintaining a cheerful heart not only brighten our days but those around us.
Summer seems like a great time to embrace God’s gift of fun with a smile on our faces. I’ve outgrown my days of “dressing up”, but I hope to keep a smile on my face and remember that having fun is a gift from God. God never intended that we be serious and somber all of the time.
Here’s a song to lift your spirits today.
Judy
you took me back to the days I would play with my sis in grandma’s “summer house”. It was filled with old quilts, garden pots, shoe irons and every other stored item you could think of. What fun we had “organizing it” into a playhouse. Thanks for the fun “flashback”!