Ben Wilson, LPC

Have you had any fun lately?  Whether as an individual or as a couple, we often find that clients that come to us for help are starved for recreation, play, enjoyment, and fun. It didn’t seem to be much of a problem to enjoy one another in the early days of our relationships.  Somewhere along the journey of creating ‘life’ together, many couples lose connection with that playful part of themselves. There are many reasons why they do: demands of careers, responsibilities for raising children, old messages that tell us it is more Godly to work than it is to play, or busyness of schedules that have no margins for fun. 

A significant fear that is present for many is the fear of sending the wrong message to a spouse:  “If I have fun with you, you might think I no longer hurt and that I am ready to move on.”  Whatever it is, many folks have lost of the art of having fun and enjoying God’s creation.

 

At Faithful & True, we encourage individuals and couples to put fun back into their relationships—or for some, to find it for the first time.  If you have not had much practice at having fun, you may need suggestions from others who know how to play together. Some couples need mentors or companions to join in on playing, as being alone can be too intimate or too unsafe. Sometimes you need others to hold you accountable or encourage you to play together.  It can actually feel like ‘work’ as you begin to put fun into your lives!  The great reward of being intentional about play and looking for ways to enjoy each other is that it builds intimacy.

 

We have been told that couples that pray together, stay together.  We also know that couples that play together, stay together!  “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”  (Ecc 3:3, 1 & 4 NIV)

 

So, I encourage you to take the time...make the time... to have some fun!