My dad (see last week's post) is one of the funniest guys I know. I love to sit around and laugh with him. My husband also has a great sense of humor. (I'll share a video and tell you a story about that later.) Even my dog Daisy smiled with her little friend Lauren (see the picture for proof).
Let's face it, the world is a scary and often sad place right now. If you read or watch the news, it's quite apparent. And it's enough to make you angry or cry. Or both.
I don't think God wants us to be angry and cry all the time. If He did, then why would He create us with the ability to laugh? Why would our lips turn up if we were never supposed to smile? Watch a toddler with his toys. Watch a baby smile at her mom or giggle when you "get" her nose. We weren't born taking life seriously. Granted, as babes we didn't have much to worry about. But my point is we knew instinctively how to laugh. But then we grew up and life became all too serious all too quickly.
In Ecclesiastes 3:4, the Bible even says there is a time to laugh. In Psalm 68:3 it says, "But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful."
In Numbers 22, a guy's donkey gets sick of his master beating him and starts talking, basically saying, "Dude! What are you hitting me for?" Come on, a donkey talks back? That's funny.
I know a few people who rarely laugh. Do you know anyone like that? How do you feel around them? I tend to take it as a personal challenge to make them laugh, but that's just me. How difficult it must be to live your life always finding fault, always seeing the down side, and missing out on the quirky, the fun, the hysterical.
My friend Deb has a LARGE Snoopy that made appearances on her Facebook page (he had a mask on for the pandemic) and then mine when she gave him to me to "babysit" while she was on vacation. So if you follow my Facebook page you'll see Snoopy watching a movie, taking a nap, cooking, and reading the Bible.
In fact, he's sitting next to me watching as I write this. Those over-the-shoulder editors can be such a pain.
As promised in the first paragraph, let me tell you the story of Snoopy taking a motorcycle ride. I was just going to pose him on my husband's motorcycle, but as I was planning it, my husband said, "Hmm. I bet if I actually drove the bike his ears would flap." So . . . .
If we've been saved, we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Of all people in the world, don't we have the best reason of all to laugh with joy?
Until next time (smile!),
Toni
Love the Snoopy video! :)