It's Fun to Have Fun, But You Have to Know How

You ever notice how kids can be bored no matter what? Like, they’ll be sitting in a house full of Wi-Fi, snacks, and three streaming services, and they’re just staring out the window like they’re in a Dickens novel: “There’s nothing to do…” Meanwhile, when I was a kid, “fun” was balancing on a broom handle until you fell and broke something. Which—fun fact—is basically the plot of The Cat in the Hat.

Dr. Seuss nailed it. The Cat barges in yelling, “Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how.” Suddenly he’s turning everyday junk into games. He’s balancing fishbowls and umbrellas, which is all fun until your mom comes home and notices you’ve turned the living room into a demolition derby. But the crazy part is, the Cat didn’t bring anything with him. No iPads, no PlayStations, no Disney tickets. Just imagination, chaos, and an alarming disregard for home insurance.

And that’s the point: fun is a skill. It’s a choice. You don’t need a vacation package or a $300 concert ticket. You can grab a deck of cards and suddenly it’s slapjack—winner gets ice cream, loser has to sing Hail to the Chief while doing the dishes. That’s a good night right there.

Now, here’s where this ties into real life. We’ve been in our series No Regrets: You Can’t Change the Past, but You Can Avoid Repeating It. And here’s the thing: fun isn’t extra. It’s not “bonus material” for when everything else is done. Fun is part of how God wired us to live and connect.

Think about it—joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Jesus didn’t call us into a life of gray seriousness; He called us into abundant life. Fun is part of how families bond, how friendships deepen, and even how faith grows. It’s the glue that holds us together.

So this week, don’t just wait for something big to happen. Look at what’s already in your hands. Turn dinner cleanup into a game. Make errands an adventure. Because when we learn how to choose joy in the small things, we’re practicing a way of life that has no regrets.