The Pastor came to visit the other day. He said that at my advanced age I should be thinking of the hereafter. I told him, "Oh, I do it all the time. "No matter where I am - in the living room, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement, I am always asking myself: "Now, what am I here after?"
Did that make you smile just a tiny bit? I hope so. One of the wonderful gifts from our Lord is the ability to laugh and be joyful. There is way too much happening in each of our lives to be serious about. It feels so good to just let loose and laugh. My father was a man who loved to laugh. His sense of humor was remarkable. This man had come from a poor family. He left home when he was only nine years old. My grandfather was a jack-of-all-trades and took work whenever he could get it. My dad, being the oldest boy was required to work however he could, even at such a young age, and give all of the money he earned to my grandfather. Daddy, being strong willed, decided that if he was going to do the work, he was going to keep the money. So he went to some friends that owned a cafe and offered to work for them after school if he could live in the small apartment above the cafe. They agreed. He got up early, went to school, worked until closing, did his homework and went to bed. At the age of eighteen he enlisted in the army. I tell you these things because he could have taken a very different attitude about life. He could have been a serious and bitter man. But he loved to joke and have fun and he passed that on to his children and grandchildren.
I love to think back to all of Daddy's antics. It gives me great joy to remember him having fun. Since we are made in His image, I believe that God also has a sense of humor and that He enjoys hearing laughter from His children. I know I feel much better emotionally and mentally after a good bout humor. It is also a proven fact that laughter helps physical healing. Thus my choice of today's verse. Along with a healthy diet and exercise, we should be instructed to take care of ourselves by getting a daily dose of mirth.
Before I close, here is one more. The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's Sunday School class. Following the story, the children were asked to draw some pictures that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front seat was a man and in the back seat, a man and a woman. The teacher was at a loss to understand how this illustrated the lesson of Adam and Eve. Little Bobby was prompt with his explanation. "Why, this is God driving Adam and Eve out of the garden!"
This week, I hope each of you finds plenty to be joyful about and that you get plenty of chances to laugh. God bless you!
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