Whack!

I smacked the pickleball across the court, and something released inside of me. Childlike joy and wonder bubbled up from somewhere deep within—somewhere I didn’t know was still there. It’s like I was back on the tennis court as a care free seven-year-old.

My boyfriend and I played doubles with some good friends and had a blast from start to finish. We played on courts that seemed to sit above the city—we could see the skyline from one vantage point and rolling hills from the other. The sky opened up for us, and I was struck by the supernatural beauty of the sunset. Somehow, it didn’t feel like Dallas, but more like a still, beautiful, rural town. The Midwestern in me was thriving.

The funny thing is, part of me didn’t want to go play. I mean, I did want to go play pickleball with friends and was excited to get it on the calendar. But when the day rolled around, I was conflicted. I had what felt like a million emotions swimming inside of me, and what I really wanted to do was sit at home in the dark comfort of my living room watching Grey’s Anatomy.

Underneath it all, what I wanted was to hide, avoid, escape. What I really needed was joy, movement, and connection. I’m so grateful we had that pickleball date on the calendar because it brought some much-needed joy and liveliness into my day. It helped shift my perspective from dwelling on specific situations and emotions to remembering there is a season for everything. If I can go sweat it out on the court for an hour or two and laugh along the way, I think I’m going to be okay. In fact, I think I am okay. Sometimes all it takes is doing something we love to bring us this reminder.

Our lives don’t have to be tidy or perfect for us to experience abundance, joy, or fun. They never will be. I think the fun and life-giving gems are a reprieve from the sometimes heavy, sometimes wearisome moments. The things that light you up don’t have to wait until life gets calmer, quieter, more organized, etc. They can happen whenever you decide to schedule them—which can start now!

When was the last time you tried something new? Or did something out of your normal routine that brought you joy?

We are not helplessly, utterly out of control of our lives. We are daughters of the King who have been given authority and responsibility to steward our lives well. I believe that includes the things that help take care of our souls—i.e. Pickleball, running, game nights, grill outs, trying a new recipe or coffee shop, art journaling, etc. The things that bring us joy are no accident. We can connect with God, ourselves, and others through simple, intentional, and fun plans.

While, of course, we can’t predict the curveballs coming at us—or even the day ahead—we get to make choices. We get to set up our lives in a way that sustains, supports, and moves us in the direction we feel called to go. It’s the mysterious tension and beauty of God’s sovereignty and our free will.

Scheduling life-giving activities—especially with other people—takes a “nice idea” from dream to reality.

Getting a date on the calendar helps make our dream to do XYZ a reality. When it’s on the books and we’ve planned for it, there’s a much better chance we will actually do it. Inevitably, there will always be some reason not to go do that thing. Don’t let the lack of intentionality be one of them—that is something you can control.

Having fun doesn’t cancel out the realities and responsibilities of our lives.

For any skeptics who may be wondering, “What about the things I have to do? What if I don’t have time?” Or, “What if I’m walking through an unimaginably tender season?” To that person, I would say, gently, that this is still for you. Joy and play are still for you. They might look different in this season, but this is absolutely still an invitation for you.

Joy doesn’t cancel out pain, heartbreak, or even responsibility. But it reminds us that we won’t be in a hard season forever. It spurs on hope in our souls—the thing we are desperate for when chaos seems to ensue. God is with us in the hard, in the fun, in the responsibility. He’s along for the ride—He’s the one guiding it. So why not do something we love with Him? That act alone can feel like a major victory in a storm or even just reality.

Challenge: Put something you’ll look forward to on your calendar for the next week. 

This blog post might sound like a nice idea, but it can truly be more than that. It can be the way you live. I challenge you to pick an activity that sounds fun—whether new or old—and put it on the calendar sometime soon, preferably in the next 7-10 days. You don’t have to wait forever to enjoy your life, even in a hard season. Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is to choose joy amid heartbreak.