As I have been sharing with you I am believing to find humor and laughter in my life. Laughter almost embarassed me at my 97 year old aunt's funeral this week.
Everything was coming off on cue, but the very old pastor who is related through marriage kept recalling times with my aunt. Her only son had obviously set things up...I could tell by the way his wife and sister would turn and stare at him. He kept his eyes straight on the pastor and refused any of the "subtle" looks they kept sending him. One thing my family maintains is "never let them see you sweat."
The trapped congregation began to fidget, roll their eyes, and shrug their shoulders because everyone realized that this could go on for hours. Some of the relatives were facing travel of one-way trips of five plus hours to get home on Sunday before facing the tough Monday morning workday. Pastor must haved gotten a hint because he said, "In closing...." But he didn't close it out. That really heightened the anxiety of the congregation. What could they do? My kin treat family with much grace and latitude. Remember he is family, even if it is through marriage. In fact, he's our only preacher. We would have passed out before ever making any obivious move to get him to close.
Then he came over to our family pew. He mentioned the laugh of our funny aunt. He challenged the cousin seated beside me to emulate it. She let out a cackle that peeled paint. And she kept on laughing and laughing and everyone in the the church was staring our way.
My last aunt living is in her nineties and she's deaf and has limited vision. During the refreshments and fellowship time she came up really close to me and one of my cousins. She strained to get a good look at us. She told us we both looked great. We were basking in this great compliment from this dear aunt, when she added, "Now, gaining weight is a problem in our family at your ages. It's a shame both of you have gotten so fat." He and I hugged and laughed. Looking great moved to being fat oldies. But we celebrated still being alive and together.
Since this church was our family church it stirred up memories of all the silly things we enjoyed when we got together at Grandaddy's farm most weekends. Yes, laughter comes easily in my family because we had a safe place to laugh through the years. My grandparents were committed in all things to the Lord. They had humble lives filled with hard work and joy all along the way. My grandmother was a beautiful country woman who had faith beyond compare. I have never forgotten this one line from her, "I don't know why folks have trouble believing Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. I'd believe the Bible if it read that Jonah swallowed the big fish..whale. God can do anything He decides to do." Yes, laughter and joy come easily if your faith is secure that you belong to God who can do anything.
Have a laugh today...if this is new for you; have one on me and my zany family.
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