Moxie Coffee Company, located right here in Seymour, is my favorite coffee shop. It is owned by my good friend Montica. It is a place that not only serves up some of the highest quality coffee, tea, and various other food and drink options, it is a place to find community, connection, and comradery; all things we could use a lot more of these days. Beyond all of that, Moxie is a place that fosters fun! If you know Montica, you know this is a reflection of her personality; Montica is fun personified. JOY is, quite literally, her middle name!
As I was perusing my social media accounts this morning, I saw a post from the Moxie Coffee Company. It read, “We are F O U R !!! 4 years of getting to know the amazing people of this town and providing a place for community and coffee. Come grab a Birthday Cake Latte (or whatever your usual is) to celebrate with us! We promise it will be a Dancing good time.” I took that as a sign from the Lord that I should head to Moxie to join the festivities.
None of us suddenly stops being fun; it’s a slow fade. Life just continues to take its toll over time.
As I prepared to enter, I looked through the window and saw Montica pointing her cellphone at the door with a big smile on her face. Upon entry, Montica asked, “Did you read the sign?” I, of course, had not, so I stepped back outside to check it out. It read, “COME IN DANCIN’ GET 50% [your drink].” I reentered the shop, the cellphone and smile still pointed my direction, and announced, “Ya boy don’t dance.” To which Montica replied, “That’s no fun!”
As we debated reasons for and against my participation in their little dance party, a question popped into my head: “When did I stop being fun?” It’s a query that has been posed to me on several occasions in recent years, but today it really hit me. I needed an answer, so I did what most of us do when we have a difficult question these days: I GOOGLED it. GOOGLE did not disappoint! Here’s the information my search provided: “People do not have a fixed expiration date for fun, but many adults feel a sharp decline in spontaneity and playfulness during their mid-30s to mid-40s due to mounting responsibilities… Rather than a sudden loss of personality, losing your ‘fun’ edge usually sneaks up through lifestyle changes and a shift in mindset.”
I feel that in my soul. Perhaps it rings true for you as well. None of us suddenly stops being fun; it’s a slow fade. Life just continues to take its toll over time. Responsibilities begin to increase. Schedules begin to fill. Appearances and the opinions of others became more important, for more substantive reasons than when we were young. Again, most of us didn’t intentionally stop being fun; fun slowly stopped being a priority or feeling like an option. We stopped taking advantage of fun when opportunities were made available. Fun only stops when we sacrifice it or allow life to stifle or steal it from us. We need to find the fun in life again.
Shining as lights in the darkness includes reveling in the joy of the Lord. Undoubtedly, our flames would burn a little brighter if we made space for a little fun in our lives.
The word fun doesn’t appear in the Bible, but there are words that infer it. Two such words are joy and rejoicing. Granted, those words convey much more than fun, but they certainly include it. Both are encouraged in the lives of those who follow Jesus. Philippians 4:4 reads, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Galatians 5:22-23 reads, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Rejoicing is a state being and joy is a foundational characteristic of followers of Jesus. Shining as lights in the darkness includes reveling in the joy of the Lord. Undoubtedly, our flames would burn a little brighter if we made space for a little fun in our lives.
This morning, at the encouragement of my dear friend and in celebration of the good work God continues to do through her and Moxie Coffee Company, I took advantage of the opportunity she offered me. I walked back out the front door and reentered Moxie with dancing (though poorly).
Life can be heavy. And, if we let it, fun will all but fade away. We need to remember that life, in all of its chaos and complexity, is a gift from God. Let’s make the most of it by finding the fun. If I may paraphrase the words of the psalmist: This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and have fun it![1]
