A Little More Sun

I have six shamrocks sitting on my dining room table, clustered together. I bought them on clearance on Saint Patrick's Day. Every day, I walk by and admire them. Several days I have looked at them and noted how they didn't quite look as healthy as the day before. So I thought they must need more water. So I gave it to them. This happened several times. Today I noticed how much healthier the one on the end closest to the window looked. The leaves were all overlapping, so it was hard to assess the health of each plant until I pulled them apart. When I did, I discovered that most of them were drowning. They were still encased in their foil wrappers and water was almost spilling over one of them. I quickly dumped out the excess water and resolved to open the blinds and let the sun shine on them. I had misjudged their needs entirely. The one healthy shamrock on the very end grew much larger than the others and even sent up blooms. It was the only one who had enough sun.

I tell you this because it relates very well to my life the past couple of days and my previous post about the spontaneous versus the planning side of ourselves. I did a great job planning my week this week. I mapped out plans to exercise, spend time with my daughter, write, etc, etc. Monday did not go as planned. I was a wreck. How am I supposed to benefit from planning with a fussy baby and a demanding four year old? I couldn't even get through my routine on the elliptical. I yelled. I was less than Christlike. (Later I repented and as we told the Easter story to our daughter at Family Night, I had some raw material to demonstrate just how the Atonement works. After singing hymns together and dyeing Easter eggs, I felt much better about the day).

Anyway, then today was a perfect day. I wrote lots while the baby slept, had an unplanned picnic with Daddy because he forgot his lunch, engaged my daughter in the fun of the Magic Eraser and wall cleaning, got a few things on my to do list done, and still had time to laugh and play and sing with my family after dinner. I learned all the verses to a children's song that has eluded me for years, thanks to my daughter's excitement about it and help.

Yesterday, I thought I needed more planning and precision to fix my day. I kept watering and watering and planning and referring to the plan. Today, I realized that I was drowning. I didn't need more water. What I needed was a little more sun. Laughter, spontaneity, and good old-fashioned fun.

Just for the Joy

I recently attended a horse show that people had come from all over the country to participate in. I watched as a few of the English Riders each took their turn on the course. I love to watch horseback riding and always wish that I could do that. I see what great pleasure the riders get out of what they are doing.

I also recently watched a movie about one man’s journey into NFL football.

Then my husband gave me a compliment on how well I can impersonate cartoon voices and the voices of other people. (Don’t ask me to do it for you; I can only do it for him and my daughter).

I know you are wondering what in the world all these things could have in common.

Sometimes I wonder why these certain things exist, not in an insulting sort of way, just in a curious-about-their-eternal-purpose sort of way. Football, horseback riding, the strange talent of impersonation. Competition, physical achievement, humor.

I spend a great deal of time in life making sure that I’m not doing anything that’s unnecessary. I don’t want to waste time on things that will have no benefit to my progress and learning or to the blessing of other people’s lives.

It has dawned on me in recent years that relaxing, having fun, and being funny are not actually a waste of time. Laughing brings great renewal and healing. It’s amazing. It can even bond people together. Impersonating cartoons makes my whole family smile and laugh. For the same reason, I stayed in the rain with them and set my own personal hula-hoop record, laughing hysterically the whole time.

As for football and horseback riding, doing something for the pure joy that it brings us is actually pleasing to our Father in heaven. Pilots love to fly. Writers love to write. Competitions in which the underdog succeeds can inspire thousands of people with hope.

Why did God make children with an inherent desire for an adult to play with them as often as possible? One reason is because it brings us great joy when we do it. Sometimes it is the only thing in the day that helps us remember we are supposed to be feeling happy. Why does He give some people the drive to compete? The desire to ride horses? The inclination to teach?

One of the deepest truths of which I can testify is that the Lord wants us to be happy. When we do what we feel inspired to do, whether over a lifetime or in one spontaneous moment of humor, we experience one of the purposes for which we came to earth: Joy.