Ellen lay in bed, still weak from the accident. She had been unconscious for three weeks after a classmate hit her face with a rock. Now all she could do was lie in bed or sit propped up. She couldn’t even go to school.

As the days and weeks passed by, Ellen, who was nine years old, began to get restless. She didn’t want to just lie in bed. She wanted to do something. Ellen could have picked up a novel to read or amused herself with a game, but she wanted a different type of entertainment. She wanted to do something useful. She had given her heart to Jesus, and she wanted to help others learn about Him too.

Ellen and her two sisters came up with a plan. They would earn money to buy books and tracts about Jesus to share with other people. But what could Ellen do to earn money? Her father, who worked making and repairing hats, agreed to let her help. She did so by making the crowns of the hats.

Ellen also began to knit stockings. Each pair was worth 25 cents. Ellen sat in bed, her fingers trembling as she worked. Twenty- five cents a day wasn’t much, but she was glad to help.

She was also glad that she had found something to do with her extra time that made a positive difference in other people’s lives.

When she was older, Ellen White often invited her grandchildren to a picnic lunch after church. They would stop at a meadow and spread out the food they had brought with them. Then they would enjoy the picnic together out in God’s nature. Picnics were a good form of entertainment, and Ellen White encouraged families, especially those that lived in the city, to spend time together out in nature.

She wrote this about such family outings:

Let several families living in a city or village leave work and school and make an excursion together out to the countryside, to a fine lake, or to a nice grove where the scenery of nature is beautiful. They should provide themselves with simple and healthy food, the very best fruits and grains, and spread their picnic under the shade of some tree or under the blue sky. The ride, the exercise, and the scenery will give everyone a hearty appetite, and they can enjoy a delicious meal that kings might envy (Adapted from The Adventist Home, p. 501).

So, what did God tell Ellen White that families should do together on such outings?

On such occasions parents and children should forget their work, studies, and worries. Parents should become like kids with their children, making everything as pleasant for them as possible. Let the whole day be given to recreation. Exercise in the open air for those who work indoors will be especially beneficial to health. Everyone will return home with new energy and courage for their work, and will be less likely to get sick (Adapted from The Adventist Home, p. 502).

Ellen White believed in positive entertainment. She stated that Christians have many sources of happiness. Young Christians can know for sure what entertainment is God-honoring, and what entertainment is not. Jesus wants the youth to enjoy recreation that doesn’t ruin the mind or contaminate the heart. Positive entertainment leaves you happier and with more self-confidence. Negative entertainment makes you sorry about your choices and reduces your achievements. If young people can take Jesus with them and be able to maintain a prayerful spirit at their recreation, they are perfectly safe (Adapted from The Adventist Home, p. 513).

Next time you’re wondering what to do for fun, think about how you can use your time and energy to help others. If you’re on the look-out for positive entertainment, Jesus will help you find it!