Fun or Godliness?

Oh my goodness.... I have hit the wall - and hard!

Wednesday nights, Bill and I usually have a nice little date night together because the kids are at youth group. This week, I was dying to get out of the house and take a little walk in the beautiful spring weather. So we did... we walked about 3 blocks...

By the time I got home, I was shaking, had goosebumps and shivers, my face was numb, my head pounding and my stomach nauseous. I sat, like a lump on a log (as my mom used to say) the rest of the night.

On Friday, Bill and I went to Home Depot. (Our lawnmower finally gave out after a good 20 years of service!) I had a little bit of spending money from some of my art sales, but because it was in my art account, I had to go with Bill to Home Depot to buy a lawnmower. Afterwards, I was horribly worn out... but also had a meeting in the afternoon with Ellen and her school advisor (she homeschools, but we partner with a school that gives us an advisor and a HS diploma through the school district). I was so sick by the time I got home....

The only thing that helped was a soak in the hot tub... bringing my "out of control" body temperature back to a more normal place and relaxing the sore and tight muscles. But even then... all I could do the rest of the evening was sit and watch a movie (thank you Stacey for loaning me "Dreamer")

Needless to say... I AM NOT HAVING FUN....

Fun... that used to be what my whole life was about! Having fun! Of course, as I grew up, I discovered that I had to do some things that weren't fun... but it's in my blood... make things fun.... do what is fun... if it's not fun - do something else!

When I think back to childhood, I think of... freedom, fresh air, skinned knees, cartwheels, roller skates, freedom, bicycles, swimming, friends, kickball, freedom, softball, grape soda, twirling on the bars, tennis, freedom... FUN!

I was free to have fun. And I did!

But recently, I was thinking about how most children these days, don't get to experience the freedoms I did. It's like I lived in another world.

Today's children are restricted by society's decline. They are restricted in school for their safety. They are restricted in their play for their safety. They are restricted in what they eat for their safety. It's sad in some ways, and yet, the restrictions come from love and concern for them. We want them to live and to thrive!

California Poppies - ACEO
Copyright M. Pruitt 2007

I grew up in California. These beautiful golden poppies grew everywhere! They grew like weeds! But I also remember the day that I was told "You can NOT pick the poppies! It's illegal!"Picking California poppies is restricted in California.... why? To protect the poppies! If everyone picked them, they wouldn't be able to seed themselves and grow everywhere!

Though it may seem sad that our children are more restricted than we used to be... I realized that it's a lot like the poppies. We protect them, so that they can grow and become the beautiful people we know they can be.

God treats us the same way - for the great purpose of helping us become the best we can be!It says in the Bible, in Hebrews 12,

"God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. "

And it's right... at times, restrictions don't feel like much fun... but what do I want more? Fun, or a mature relationship with God??? Well... at times I'm tempted to say fun.... but what I really really want in life is to be the person God created me to be. And I welcome his guidance to become just that!

So, even as I pray for healing, I accept this wall that slams me in the face... this time of not having fun, as a time for growth - spiritual growth. If it leads me to a more mature relationship with him... it's worth it.

Pray with me, that you and I will accept the challenges, and discipline, and guidance God gives us through our hard times, so that we can become more like his son and more mature in our relationship with Him - our beloved Father.