It was a Monday night. The sun was setting, and the mosquitoes came out. The day had been muggy, and we were grateful for the cool change.
A group of friends stood in my backyard, watching the cockatoos line the telephone wires. We spoke about nothing and everything. Someone shared a childhood memory. Another person reminisced about the games of our childhood; stuck in the mud, red rover, and all the other classics.
“We should play stuck in the mud!” I announced to the group, mostly-joking. The rest of them barely skipped a beat before an enthused chorus of “yes” filled the yard.
Before I knew it, there we all were: a dozen 19-24 year olds tearing around the grass on a Monday night, getting sweaty and rolling in the dirt and laughing until we had to stop and catch our breath.
It was a ridiculous game to play. There was no winner. There wasn’t even a point or an end; we just played until we got tired. And yet - it was so utterly fun and carefree.
Playing ‘stuck in the mud’ reminded me that sometimes, things are worth doing just because. Just because they’re fun. Just because they get us moving. Just because our childish joy makes our Heavenly Papa smile.
My personality has always been geared towards prioritising achievement and success over other things. For so long, that was all I really cared about - winning, or doing something well so that people would notice.
Lately, though, I have been finding so much freedom and JOY in doing things that can’t be measured or competed in. Doing things for no other reason than to laugh, to build community, or to simply spend time creating.
My Papa God is teaching me that there is so much purpose to the in-between things; the ones that may never look good on paper or find their way onto our to-do lists, but that are relevant and priceless and important all the same.
So here’s to doing things not just for the sake of competing or achieving or ticking off a list. Here’s to doing more of the things that make us smile.
And hey - here’s to playing ‘stuck in the mud’ until we’re in our 80’s and getting hip replacements.
Who’s with me?
Photo by Daan Stevens from Pexels.