Have you ever had a situation where you chose to do something and thought it was going to be great?  Or fun?  At least enjoyable?  Maybe it was a vacation to a tropical island.  Or you renovated your kitchen.  And then it poured rain every day.  The construction project didn’t go at all as planned.

And you asked yourself, “Are we having fun yet?”

It happened to Jerry and me.  We had scrimped and saved to take a trip to Bermuda.  In late May, right after the semester ended.  Sun, warm air, romantic walks on the beach, and flowers.  Yeah.  We could picture it.  We could feel it.

Now we’re there and rent a motor scooter.  This is going to be so much fun!  Riding together, seeing the sights as we buzz around the island.

Not exactly.  It starts to rain shortly after we get to the inn.  Not a gentle shower that lasts 30 minutes.  Nope.  Full-out rain.  We could hardly see.  And we don’t have rain gear.

We can’t just stay at the inn.  There isn’t anything to do there.  And we only packed one book each (that’s before phones and Kindles.)  So, we have to go out in the rain.  And now we’re soaked…and cold.

We looked at each other and asked, “Are we having fun yet?”

After a bit of whining and complaining, we made it work.  We bought rain ponchos.  We bought sweaters to keep us warm.  We splashed in the puddles.  We had fun anyway.

I’m asking myself the same question right now, “Are we having fun yet?”  Retirement hasn’t been a picnic thus far.

1. I’ve spent countless hours preparing documentation for an IRS audit. I just sent more than 75 pages in a package yesterday.  And now I await the results.
2. I’ve had mouth surgery, got sick, and now have sciatic nerve pain that makes it difficult to drive or walk. That one showed up out of the blue, and has stuck around.
3. Payments I was supposed to receive from my former employer haven’t shown up as expected. Follow-up found that there are issues we’re still working through.  One would think that a bank could get money right.
4. I haven’t been able to come to terms on that possible consulting gig.

So you can see why I might be asking, “Are we having fun yet?”

Just like in Bermuda, there are times when I just whine and complain.  Feel sorry for myself.  There was so much drama, so much turmoil right before I left work, that I was really hoping for some peace when I left.  And it hasn’t happened yet.

But then I realized there have been bright spots too.  Blessings galore.

1. Time spent with old and new friends.
2. An invitation to California, and I can just go.
3. Experimenting in my kitchen, from pureed foods to using my Instant Pot.
4. Errands during the day so I can enjoy the weekend.

When the “sun” isn’t shining, I’ve had to make my own fun.  Choose to focus on the bright spots.  Take joy in the little blessings.

Some days I just don’t have the energy.  Like yesterday when I looked at my bank account and money hadn’t been deposited.  And I was finishing up the IRS documentation.  And grieving over another group of innocent people who were gunned down in a school.  No, I didn’t have a whole lot of energy to make my own fun that day.

But I did make myself say out loud what I was thankful for.  I did remember to thank God when I finally mailed that IRS package.  I had to.  It’s the way of joy.  To give thanks in all things.  Not necessarily for all things.  But in all things.

At church we’re studying 1 Corinthians chapter 13.  Really digging into each word of the passage on love.  One of the phrases says, “Love always hopes.”  If I want to live a life of love, I have to have hope.  Part of having hope means to believe in a brighter future.  To believe that every experience, no matter how difficult, can ultimately be redeemed.  To make fun out of not-so-fun.

It’s a choice, isn’t it?  Things are what they are.  We don’t have to call them good if they aren’t.  And then we still have to choose what to do next.  How we respond.  How we feel.  How we live.

Today, now that I’ve had time to feel what I feel – angry, taken advantage of, pain, singled out – I’m going to choose gratitude.  Joy.  And yes, hope.  I hope you’ll join me.

Have you asked yourself, “Are we having fun yet?”  Like maybe yesterday, or multiple times already today?  What do you do to live with joy and hope in the midst of trying circumstances?  Share in the comments.