July 17 “Laughter is Strong Medicine” Job 8:21
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” (Job 8:21NIV)
Some of the best memories of my early years were sitting around the supper table and laughing with my parents. Daddy had a “dry and sharp wit” and Mama was smart, yet gullible and witnessing the banter between them was always colorful and entertaining. Amazingly, without fail, I always felt better after supper. As I grew, I noticed that Mama always tried to see the “Bright Side” of every difficult situation. From 1960 until 1964, Mama had 5 major kidney surgeries, with the 5th one removing her right kidney. Now, picture this, it was 1964 and medical science was evolving, yet was nothing like today. Mama came home with a drain tube coming from her right side and it was attached to a large glass jar. My first question, to Mama was, “What is that?” She could see the fear in my young eyes and she answered my question with a “Funny” that would calm my fears. A few weeks before her surgery, we had a new septic tank installed and the man that installed it was patient and kind, with this inquisitive young kid, as he explained every aspect of the installation and the need for the new septic tank. So, Mama said to me, Baby, this is my new septic tank!” She laughed, I laughed and when Daddy got home, he laughed. I learned that laughter will not stop calamities or disease or tensions or distresses, however, laughter acts as a strong medicine, soothing difficult times and brightening up the dreariness of our daily grind. Laughter builds inner strength and fortifies us as we deal with life’s challenges. In the midst of this challenging environment and in the middle of the confusion of what is real and what is fake and what is true and what is a lie, I pray that God will allow us to stop and re-focus and re-tool, so that we can smile in the midst of this chaos and confusion and let ourselves laugh a little! Twelve days ago, I fell and hurt my back. I had a jar of water in my hand and when I recovered from my acrobatic contortions, I saw that I had not spilled the water, nor had I broken the jar. Now, I was in constant pain for 12 days and I was unable to rest in my bed, so I slept (if that is what it was called) in my recliner. I thought about my first thought and laughed…I wasn’t upset about the fall; I was amazed that I held the jar! It does not take a lot to see the negative and the controversial issues of this day, however, it requires the Grace of God to believe that He has this situation and with the God Given Common Sense, and with Obedience to His call, we will overcome! Recently, I was questioned about what I thought about the way that circumstances have “played out,” closures of businesses and church buildings and the fallout from the decisions that our government officials have made, as it relates to restrictions on our lives and I was asked if I thought it was real or made up. When I see the numbers and when I see our local hospitals filling up with COVID19 patients and I am ministering to families that are experiencing various levels of COVID19 in their lives, I have to believe that it is real and it is a difficult time and it is hard to determine what to do and not to do, and I have prayed long and repeatedly about what to do. My answer was clear and plain, “I don’t know where this will end and I don’t know how it will resolve and I don’t know when we will be able to return to church activities, but, I do know that it will end and it will resolve and I do know that church as we have known it, will not be the same! So, what do we do? Do we blame others for the issues? Do we remain angry and defiant in our attitude towards others? Do we allow this junk to steal our joy? Ladies and Gentlemen, I for one, choose to claim the promise of God when He promised that He would fill our mouths with LAUGHTER and our lips with shouts of JOY! What God does with you, depends upon what you do! It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE