If you don't have any fun in life, what’s the purpose? I know life is more than just having fun, but there’s a place for fun in our daily lives.
What I consider to be fun, wife Martha, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, doesn't like at all. What she considers fun, I don't understand at all.
But there are quite a few times we’ve had fun together. I should really write them down so I don't forget them. The next time we have fun together, I'm going to make a note.
As for me, I get things confused, and sometimes I say the wrong word.
This week we went to the mall, and encountered some friends we haven't seen for a while. I always enjoy catching up with friends and having a little fun together.
My friend was a little obsessed with his wife buying purses all the time. He never called them purses, he called them bags.
“I don’t understand,” he said, “why women need so many of these bags. Why can’t they be satisfied with just one.”
Then he went on describing all of those “bags” his wife had at home.
“I can bet he's going to buy another bag today here at the mall,” he said with a little bit of sarcasm. We laughed together because we both knew what he was talking about.
I then pointed over to my wife and said, “Look at that lovely bag over there.”
I didn't realize I’d used the wrong word. My friend always called a purse a bag, and so I followed along with him.
I wanted him to see the nice purse my wife had. But when I said, “Look at that lovely bag over there,” I got into so much trouble that I don't know if I’m out of it today. I stared at my friend for a moment, and he began to smile because he knew I was in trouble.
“Well, my wife and I need to get going.” And they walked away, leaving me with Martha and the trouble I was in.
As we drove home in her “sissy van,” she was very quiet and focused solely on driving. I, on the other hand, was focused on being quiet. There's a time to speak and a time to be quiet. As a veteran husband, I’m still learning when it's time to be quiet.
I’m not going to give up on having fun, I’m just going to try to be more delicate in the fun I choose at the time. That won’t be easy, but sometimes you have to pay for the fun you have.
As I was thinking through this, I couldn’t help but think of a special Bible verse.
“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” — Proverbs 17: 28
When I open my mouth, others can see what a fool I am. If I keep my mouth shut, I hide all that foolishness. My new goal is to show a smile with my mouth and keep it shut.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
