Proverbs 17:22 tells us "a joyful heart is good medicine..."
Laughter is good medicine. It is healing. It’s revitalizing. Laughter releases feel good chemicals in our brains. It produces a natural high.
I used to start my day with a giggle from the morning paper. The comics section, once known simply as “the funnies,” aren’t really funny to me anymore. I persist in my daily reading of “Pickles,” starring the white-haired grandparents who often babysit their grandson Nelson. And don’t forget Roscoe, their dog, who always has the best lines. Because they remind me of myself at times, they are good for a daily smile. All other comic strips – meh – I don’t get them.
It reminds me that I am no longer our culture’s target audience, no longer hip. But come on now. Everyone deserves a good laugh.
The question is, where does one find a good laugh these days?
When I Googled “clean comedians,” I got a list. The writers defined “clean” as ones “who never or rarely swear.”
I wonder if their definition of swear matches my own.
How about content, people?
The Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey put it most succinctly when, with a snobbish sniff, she stated, “Vulgarity is no substitute for wit.”
I agree, Cousin Violet.
Am I just on a rant, you wonder, or is there some point to this line of thought?
I am here to tell you that God loves a good laugh. He engineered us to enjoy laughter. He knows when we share a laugh, we connect.
When I see other people laughing, even if I don’t know why, it brings a smile to my face.
So let me tell you what God is doing with a beautiful woman who has the gift for making people laugh. He has sent her on a mission. Her story is one of listening to God’s call on her life, as absurd and as scary as it may have seemed at times. When the road seemed impossible, with bumps and detours, God was up ahead, beckoning her forward.
Last night, I was among a group of women blessed to hear the clean comedy of Juanita Lolita. What a gift she has! At the end, she shared her Christian testimony, reminding all of us that God has a job for each of us, regardless of age.
Juanita has left her traditional job and is now doing comedy full time. She can be comfortable traveling, entertaining women's groups, appearing on tv and at conferences, but He does not call us to be comfortable.
And God has placed before her a new frontier… comedy clubs and other venues, where her clean comedy is rarely found and, take my word, she will have a profound impact.
And the light of God’s love will shine forth from her like a lighthouse on a rocky shoreline.
Let's all add Juanita to our prayer lists. With God's leading, who knows where this could lead!
God, You are so amazing. When things look impossible, You always have a plan. You use who we are to accomplish Your purpose. Let us always trust You and look to You in everything we do. In Jesus'Name, Amen.
