I am still thinking of Pastor Joel’s celebration of Holy Humor day, traditionally celebrated the Sunday after Easter. I had no knowledge of it until last Sunday but I loved the idea. I laughed at all the jokes and witty bits of humor included in the sermon and left the church that day filled with JOY!

How wonderful is that? Thank you, thank you Pastor Joel. I love to laugh, ha, ha ,ha. Loud and long and clear – just to dive into a bit of Mary Poppins for a spot of time. Laughing releases something in our bodies that creates JOY in the LORD for us to celebrate and pass on! Try it!

I went to talk to my Aunt Dorothy last week while she was in hospice but still responding with hand squeezes. (She has since died.)All kinds of emotions were present in that room. Love, sadness, happiness that Aunt Dorothy’s journey seemed to be a peaceful one, remembrance of all the ways she mentored all of us very quietly, deep appreciation for all that is God in situations like this, hard as it is, and joy and laughter filled the room at regular intervals as stories were told and retold. Aunt Dorothy was all about family and even though she dozed off at points, I’m sure she loved to maybe hear the laughter floating her way. She always smiled as the stories flowed around the rooms of her house and laughter followed on the holidays we gathered there or at my Aunt Sharon’s house.

When I arrived to see her, two of my cousins were there and my dad’s sister also a niece to Dorothy. I did not understand until I was fairly old that though my mom and dad were only two years apart in age from my Aunt Dorothy, she was actually my dad’s aunt too, so really, she was my great aunt.

Who knew? Not me – but our generations are all mixed up – my grandma was the eldest sibling and Dorothy was the last child of a huge family. My dad grew up with her and she even lived with his nuclear family at points. My dad and mom were very close to her and her husband, Ken. Dad and mom called her Dorothy and my dad’s sister Sharon, who is much younger than my dad, called her Aunt Dorothy. Confusing for a child. What was not confusing was the laughter that always engulfed our family gatherings. The people of my dad’s family are storytellers of the first degree and, boy, did they tell them! We were all Christian of some nature, and so the family foundation was built, not without rocky times, but surely stone for stone it was built on faith and laughter and joy for the things we shared when together and even when apart.

Joel’s sermon, reminded me that my mom and I felt we were closer to God’s world when we were laughing. And laugh we did!

Do not underestimate the source from which our humor can come – it can often be a celebration of the life God provides us. Let’s relish that and never forget! I can laugh right now with joy at my Izzie dog who brings me such joy but is currently lazing and sleeping beside me as I work hard to write some worthwhile words to you. She will open her eyes soon and turn her head to check on me. And then lop back down so relaxed and sure of this family’s love for her. I laugh right now (inside myself so as not to wake Izzie) because she is so sure of our love and yet we often wonder how God could possibly love us. Yes us, his own creation! We should laugh at our silliness and laugh for the joy that God does love us.

Let’s love to laugh!

 

~Shauna Weil
A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC

 

Watch a classic musical dance number about laughing, and see some pictures that show me laughter and joy.

One shows me laughing high up near Angels Landing in Zion NP with the sheer joy of being out in God’s magnificence.

One of Maxine laughing for joy as she was bounced on a ball by Great Aunt Shauna. I was happy but could not laugh as my arms were hurting so much. Even that makes me laugh now!

There’s a picture of my oldest child Nicholas sitting next to my youngest Stephanie. I call them my twins born 7 years apart, they are so much the same. The thought of that makes me laugh all the time.

Then there is a picture of my mom, who was always excited about fully dressing up for Halloween. Here she is at 93 ready for the annual party! Happy and laughing, I assure you!

And finally is a famous picture of Jesus laughing – I have long loved it. I have often thrown my head back like Jesus and laughed when I see this.

Just let yourself laugh and see moments of your own life in these simple happenings – God was there, remember that! Shouldn’t be any different going forward.