Godly Giggles
Have you ever laughed in church?
I'm not talking about before or after the service or when the preacher told a joke. I'm talking about right smack dab in the middle of the message—when no one else was laughing. No? Just me?
I've told you before, my mind seems to operate on its own wavelength, and it often catches me by surprise. Take, for example, several months ago when our pastor was preaching. For the life of me, I can't remember what he was preaching about, but I remember him saying "Shame on you. Shame on your whole family." Immediately, Jason and I turned to one another and laughed while mouthing the words, "Dishonor on you. Dishonor on your cow. Dishonor on your whole family" (which, for those of you who are more mature than we are, is a line from the Disney movie, Mulan). Anyway, we both had the same thought and got so tickled we couldn't quit laughing. The awful part is that I couldn't even get myself under control while playing the invitation. Good grief!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppobDZeSJ9Q]
This past Sunday, I had a similar situation. I blame it on the long work week and exhaustion. I don't know what happened. The pastor was preaching a beautiful sermon on realizing exactly what took place when we got saved. He was using sentences like, "Not only did God save your soul from Hell, but He promised you a home in Heaven" and "Not only did He make you an heir, but He made you a joint heir with Christ." It was a good message. It really was, but as he continued to make these comparisons, I turned to Jason and in my best infomercial voice whispered, "But wait! There's more!"
Evidently, I caught him off guard because he lost it. It's been a while since I've seen him laugh so hard. His reaction made me laugh that much more. I had no idea I was so funny! Each time we would compose ourselves, one (or both) of us would giggle again. (Seriously, I get that way when I'm tired.)
After church, we had to explain to our pastor what we were laughing at. All I could say was, "I'm sorry. It was me!" And honestly, I am sorry if we disrupted the service (which I don't think we did because we sit in the sound booth in the back of the church). The pastor was probably the only one who saw us giggling, but still, I'm sure it was a distraction to him. And, for that, I apologized. However, I do not regret that both of us enjoyed such a good laugh. We need more of that these days.
We live in dark times, and life is hard. It's easy to become discouraged, and Heaven knows, there's plenty to complain about.
But sometimes we need to stop taking everything so seriously and take time out to laugh.
Laugh at the crazy things our minds come up with. Laugh at the kitten chasing his tail. Laugh at the sign that reads "I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around." Look around. There's always something to laugh at. Notice, I said something, not someone. Laughing at other people's expense is just rude and ugly. But laughing at the funny things in life, that's why God gave us a sense of humor. He intends for us to use it. After all,
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Give yourself a break, today. Laugh. Smile. Giggle like a child. And be sure to share that happiness with others.
Laughter is just as contagious as complaining, so let's start an epidemic.
After all, the cure is the same as the cause!
*Need some laughs? Check out my clean comedy playlist on YouTube.