DEVOTIONAL
PROVERBS 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
In Huntsville when our children were elementary age, we lived next door to a phenomenal godly couple who were such a blessing to our family. Occasionally we would have game night with them. At times we would go next door and there would be treats galore while we played and fellowshipped. Other times, Mr. and Mrs. Wells would walk over to our house, especially if it was a school night. First we would play a game with everyone and then the kids would (reluctantly) go upstairs to bed and the four adults would play Rook or Spades.
This couple was several years older than Jonathan and I, but one would never know from their spunk! The kids to this day still talk about hearing us downstairs as they drifted off to sleep. They remember especially Mrs. Wells’ robust and contagious laughter, dancing though the house! Mrs. Wells departed for Heaven several years ago, but her memory lives on in the sound of her laugh and the beauty of her singing way atop the Living Christmas Tree at First Baptist in Huntsville.
Continuing the stroll down Memory Lane, my mom’s humor was one of the many, many aspects making her special. Her quick-witted, dry humor could catch anyone off guard. She enjoyed talking but she also could be quiet, waiting for just the right moment to inject a nugget of wisdom or a funny! I could look at her in any situation, and if she caught my eyes, she could give a look that would make it nearly impossible not to crack! The way she would respond to someone or something, it was hard to tell if she was serious… I knew! She would just wink at me quickly and sit there so innocently!
My cousin and I have laughed so hard before, we could not even speak without making the situation worse. We have made quite a spectacle of ourselves on numerous occasions! Next up, Sunday school.. I had to leave the room numerous times, because my friends did or said something, adding a little “buzz” word that we knew, which sent me scurrying our of the room, snorting laughter and with tears streaming down my cheeks, because I was so tickled. Yet another friend was trying to tell a story in the store, each time she reached a certain point, I started laughing hysterically because she assumed the same body language and “pose” every time. I finally caught my breath long enough to tell her to resume the story, rather than start again.
Well, there you have it…My incredibly amusing mom and friends.. then there are my children! After 24, 23 and 21 years, it is difficult to find a place to start with them! Each one has earned the #1 spot on the humor scale at one time or another! Putting all three together, let’s just say, it has kept the hair color business booming!
My oldest, Brittney, at a very young age, got on her little “kitchen phone” (the Little Tikes kitchen), and walked beside a little uptight service man at our house as he was talking to his boss. “Okay, okay, okay”, he was telling his boss, nervously. Brittney, being a great help, held her phone up as he was on his and paced back and forth just as he did, pacing back and forth, right beside him, and repeated “Okay, okay. okay”. I just stared, amused and shocked at my child’s behavior! When he hung up the phone, she hung up hers, crossed her arms, cocked her head sideways and looked at him as to say “What now?”
Courtney’s bright and shining moment came when we were at Disney at the 3 D bug movie. During the show, a bee in the movie was talking and pointing at everyone in the audience When she came out, she looked at us with those big blue eyes, in total amazement she told us, “Did you see that, the bee was talking just to ME !” We tried breaking it to her that indeed, the bee was speaking to everyone, then she went on and dug the hole a little deeper.. “Uh uh” she insisted “he POINTED right at ME!” Maybe cute at 5, but at 12… so blonde! (My apologies to the blondes.. and maybe she was a little younger than 12, but not much).
My poor son.. He started out so well, bless his heart! Thankfully, he seems to have inherited his grandmother’s wonderful sense of humor. He is a 21 year old boy, so goofiness flows like an everlasting stream from him. He has an innate ability to infuriate at one moment and amuse in the next. His most disturbing utterance, “War ____”
Thank you for taking that path with me. I hope you can think to some times that made you smile, giggle and laugh. I pray that your children will have a great sense of humor, an appropriate sense of timing to use it and a gift for lighting up someone’s day.
Can’t you imagine the times Jesus had with His Disciples. Twelve men, some brothers, some of those men could not have been any more different. What patience our Savior had for enduring the variety of personalities. If you don’t think the Lord has a sense of humor…take a look around you!
PRAYER
Dearest Lord in Heaven
Thank You for laughter
Thank You for those people
Who are able to bring a smile
We give You praise any time we are able to be that person for someone else
Please let the children use their humor to lighten
Not to bully or harm anyone
You, O God
Give so much more than laughter
You give JOY
This lingers when the laughter fades
It can exist even in the absence of laughter
Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us there is a time for laughter
May we recognize that and use it wisely
Thank You for humor
For giving us a smile
Give our hearts cause to smile at the mention of Your Name
The Name above ALL NAMES
Who we serve
Who we are
Who we will be
When nothing or no one else can bring us cheer
Bring to mind our promise of eternity with You, please, God
The Words You have written of love certainly must bring a heart of rejoicing
Let us share this with our children
You are truly our Hope and our Salvation
In the Name of Your Son
Jesus Christ
We pray,
AMEN
video:
4SONGS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHjUZoS-3Uk Russ Lee “I Smile”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z29h7HUcJus “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgaWm2pnNs “Joy to the World”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3iB30gCqAc&list=PL4A2B54B268D57207 “Shine Jesus Shine”
Credits: Jesus, Bible, youtube, Google and Yahoo images, Biblehub
