At our work place we're known for carrying on in certain kind of ways off and on during the day. Most of the day is serious stuff, work that keeps one on their toes and moving. I like to have my Bible open, at times with my Greek New Testament, as I seek to ponder God's word, as Mary did, so I can be hopefully on the same page God would have me on, in living out God's will in Jesus, or seeing that worked out in my life. And praying. One can't underestimate the value there is in having a job during which you can spend some significant intervals in prayer. So even though it's a factory job, albeit in a good, solid ministry, there is much for me to be thankful for.
But one can get down, and bored at times through the seeming mundaneness of it all. And yesterday I just couldn't seem to connect with God, not really getting God's word well, what I was on, though the exercise in itself was good. Not seeming to be in sync with God, struggling in praying for others, though maybe I was getting somewhere with that. But compared to other days, in a general malaise and even out of sorts, just not getting it.
But then hilarity and unexpected joy came. Where this hilarity comes from, I really don't know, because sometimes it seems to come out of the depths of inward difficulty. But I have my "patented" way of "singing" Simon and Garfunkel's great song, "The Sounds of Silence", (others are picking up on it!) and we were getting into another song as well as acting rather crazy. Plus we got some good names sometimes of people (and churches, at times) on our address labels for the mailings that sound funny in our ears. We just completely lose it, sometimes our laughter just doubles us up completely. And of course the humor surrounding Sunday NFL football here in Michigan has added a new chapter this year (thankfully it's only a game! (: ).
As we were carrying on all day, with really a good spirit, having worked through one difficult team issue earlier during the day in a way that surely, for all its imperfections, was pleasing to the Lord, it just seemed like joy took over. It seemed like I was in the Spirit, in some measure so. The ride home with the neighbor I carpool with seemed to be one of joy. Being at home is joy, but had the added sense I was carrying over from work.
Hilarity (which Dietrich Bonhoeffer considered important) and joy. How wonderful to live with a God in a world as sad and tragic as this world is, but to be able to not only weep in and with this world, but to be able to experience hilarity even with accompanying joy. This is part of our life in Jesus.
What would you like to add to these thoughts?
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6 comments:
A deep sigh, knowing that the ridiculous customers, demanding pilots, difficult departure schedule, and the hours of overtime in the freezing outdoors fighting the elements was worth it.
Why?
Because the whole crew was falling over laughing during our nightly YouTube break!
It was a good day!
wingnut
I don't know where hilarity and laughter fits in the Christian life but it would seem like Christians, of all people should laugh the most.
i am starting to think that God can really give us some needed breaks with good hearted humor.
Wingnut,
Yes. "Common grace" indeed helps us to laugh together. Who hasn't cracked up at one of the political skits done on Saturday Night Live? We need the good laugh regularly. Actually, I can be all too serious, though I think the Lord is working to take me out of the wrong kind of seriousness in which I live as if God is not, or is in some way diminished.
ESI,
Amen, brother, amen. Yes indeed. As from your good theological perspective, God is sovereign, then we are reminded that we don't have to worry. In the end and from the beginning to the end, all throughout, God is sovereign. Helps us keep a better and hopefully growing perspective on life.
Nancy,
Yes, humor as gifts from God. It really struck me that way from the incident expressed on this post. I was anything but in a laughing mood, quite to the contrary. This seemed to come out of no where, even if coming from the depths of my soul and in fellowship with others. And joy followed or accompanied it. Of course it was all in good (and clean) fun and humor, albeit some of it crazy, or its own brand of humor I guess you might say.
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