Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power: Laugh With Me

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Oh, it’s so good to be with you today! Thanks for coming by for more of this lighthearted series that is really teaching me to lighten up, let go, let God and laugh. Grab your coffee and come on in.

So before we continue through the Gospels to reveal Jesus’ sense of humor, I want to say Happy Birthday to two very special people: Teresa Irvine, a long-time friend of mine and a CPM event volunteer. Teresa, I pray that you make memories that squeeze your heart with laughter for years to come. And finally, to my mom who I know now smiles and laughs as she looks down on me from heaven. Mom, I miss you but I thank our Heavenly Father, the Author of Laughter, for your salvation which guarantees I will see you again!

Now, let’s get back to the truth, that Jesus had/has a sense of humor!

I have to concur with James Martin, author of Between Heaven and Mirth. He says Jesus was/is not simply a person who heals the sick, raises the dead, stills the storm and preaches the good news – and doesn’t He still do all of that today! – But He’s also as a man of great goodwill and compassion, with a zest for life, someone unafraid of controversy, free to be who He knows Himself to be and brimming with generous good humor, full of high spirits. When He walked the earth, He was even playful and yes, even fun.

I think one of the key truths is that Jesus knew who He was/is and was confident in His identity! That is a huge key to unlock the door to laughter and cheerfulness! When we are all bound up in life by life, no wonder we don't or can't or won't laugh!

And please don’t think I am trying to make Him less holy; I am not trying to do that in any way, shape or form but we serve a Savior who has a sense of humor and who is approachable in many ways.

See, Jesus came to this earth as man, in human form. What kind of a human doesn’t have a sense of humor? If you answered robot, that’s not even true because I’ve seen all sorts of robotic characters with senses of humor! But I think we tend to view God like that, without emotion.

Anyway, if we believe that Christ was born of a virgin, that He walked this earth as a man, then there are all the emotions that come with being human and laughter, joy, cheerfulness, those are all part of the emotions He expressed and experienced. I believe that how we perceive God/Christ influences how we try and live our lives. If we see Him as a rule maker and rigid, won’t we approach Him in the same way?

What about you; how is it that you know you are able to approach Him and do you think that as you sit with Him that He smiles with you?

I know for me, especially growing up, I pictured Him up there on the throne sort of playing Monopoly with my life, and the way He advanced in the game was with every bad choice I made! And those choices definitely didn't make Him smile, or so I thought! Oh, how beautiful the day when I learned that He wept over every bad thing done to me and about me, and how much He loves me and smiles with me and even at me in the midst of me being transformed.

Jesus was truly clever and He combined wit with wisdom. His sense of humor was like the mist from the waves that crashed on the ocean floor               He fills my heart
and sprayed all passers-by as He sat in a boat amongst the great multitudes            with laughter!
gathered around to hear Him. He taught lessons through parables that
transcend all denominations, all cultures and all races. In fact, Jesus, like
David, loved speaking in parables. Join me tomorrow for some funny
one-liners spoken from the Author of Laughter! He fills my heart with laughter!

Love and laughter,

Evinda