Some of the things that people call “fun” are pretty strange.
Did you know that “Duck Herding” is popular in the UK? I’ve even seen an article that described it as a “competitive sport.” It apparently involves people guiding ducks around a course with obstacles and challenges (along with the help of sheepdogs, amazingly enough) to eventually reach a pen. Could be interesting to watch once; but not something for which I think “fun” would be the first word to pop into my mind.
Have you heard of “Staff Riding” yet? In Johannesburg, South Africa that’s the term for what I’d have to describe as “Train Surfing.” Yup, people climb out of the passenger car of a moving train, and either hang onto the handrails while doing gymnastics-type moves or get up onto the roof and perform acrobatics. Definitely not something I’d recommend ever, since a pretty fair number of folks who have “fun” this way also get maimed, electrocuted or killed.
If you enjoy seeing yourself on the television, “News Raiding” is a much safer way to have “fun” since it involves almost no risk. All you need to do is find locations of live-shot news reports by doing some up-front research. Then you get to the location and make it into the shot as a bystander or a passer by. Just be aware that the insiders who make a hobby of this keep track of how many shots they’ve been in, so it’s not a one-time thing. And they call that “fun.”
I’m not going to get into detailed descriptions of things like collecting navel fluff (one guys has over 22 grams; his own, I hope), extreme ironing (yeah, I have no idea how this is fun), mooing (yes, like a cow; started in Wisconsin, naturally) and collecting in-flight sick bags (unused, one would hope). None of those things are “fun” in my book.
I’ve said before that nothing is more fun than serving God with people you love. It’s true.
Now you may think serving God sounds like less fun than collecting navel fluff. I’ll be the first to admit that serving God is not always easy, not would I claim that it is totally safe. It is, in fact, sometimes rather uncomfortable. But one can ALWAYS make it fun, especially according to the definition I’m about to give you.
I was just introduced to former NFL Pro-Bowl Defensive Tackle Tommie Harris and we spent a few hours getting to know one another. He mentioned a definition of “FUN” that has transformed my understanding of the word.
Tommie said that, when he first came to Christ, he struggled a bit with having to leave behind the “fun” that the bar scene offers to a high-profile professional athlete. Unlimited drinks, women, action; actually unlimited pretty much whatever-you-want. Of course, once your fame, money or contract run out you’ll not find much “fun” there any more. And, just like Staff Riding, this kind of “fun” tends to maim or kill most of the folks who do it for any extended period of time. (At least on the inside, if not on the outside, too.) So Tommie asked God what he was supposed to do for “fun” now that he was a believer.
God told Tommie that, if he was willing to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable, God would open doors where Tommie could unleash his faith and see it have a big impact NOW. Changing lives, sharing God’s wisdom, scoring points that REALLY mattered. God told Tommie that unleashing his faith would be more fun than he had EVER experienced in any bar or bedroom.
God’s definition of FUN is this –
F – Faith
U – Unleashed
N – Now
A few weeks ago I wrote about how boring it is to watch someone else fish, and gave you three rules for fishing. (If you missed it, you can check out https://ceec.church/210723 ) We’re called to be people-fishers. I knew that.
Now I have a better perspective on how much FUN fishing can be. ?
God said allowing our FAITH to be UNLEASHED NOW will be FUN. I can’t wait!!!
OK, people-fishers, LET’S GO HAVE SOME FUN !!!!
