A Texan was visiting Niagara Falls. The New York tour guide said “I know you have a lot of big things in Texas, but I bet you haven’t got anything like this!” pointing to the Falls. The Texan scratched his head and said, “No, but we do have a plumber in Texas who could stop that leak!” Ha – pretty funny guy!!
Proverbs 15:15 tells us, “He who has a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 17:22 says that “A merry heart is good – just a medicine!” I love those verses. How many sourpuss believers are out there who think it’s a good thing to be a grump? Lots, trust me. But thankfully, that’s just not what the Bible teaches.
There’s a funny retraction that one church had to print after a big boo-boo in their church newsletter – “First Church’s musical in last week’s paper should have been said, “Our God Reigns.” We mistakenly printed, “Our God Resigns.” Oops! Happily, God is not dead nor is He a grump and He probably got a big kick out of it.
Every area of your life matters to God. 3 John 2 is one of my all time fav verses: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” A ‘prospering soul” includes a joyful & happy soul. So…with that in mind, let me share a hilarious story with you ~
After a particularly mild winter, the small town of Chestermere became overrun with squirrels in the spring. Because the local churches had the best trees, the squirrels often congregated (pun intended) near them. This is what each church decided to do about the pesky animals.
The Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they shouldn’t interfere with God’s divine will.
At the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a water slide on the baptistery and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim, so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.
The Lutheran Church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God’s creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist Church. Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the waterslide.
But the Catholic Church came up with a very creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter.
But, surprisingly, not much was heard from the Jewish Synagogue. Come to find out, they took the first squirrel and circumcised him and they haven’t seen a squirrel since…
Who among us doesn’t like a good laugh?! Everyone!! So – I’ll end with this. There was once a pastor who was asked to speak at a service in a large industrial plant. He was told about a certain worker who was an ardent atheist who wouldn’t be caught dead at his meeting.
The pastor deliberately walked up to this man’s work area just before the event and said to him, “Did you ever think how much we have to thank God for?” Before the man could respond, the pastor continued…”Take your nose for example. If anyone else but God had given it to you, it might have been turned upside down. Then if it rained, you would drown, and if you sneezed, you’d blow your hat off.”
The man was so intrigued by the pastors humor, he stayed to listen – he heard the Gospel and made a decision for Christ that very afternoon. Humor can definitely be engaging.
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us there’s “A time to weep and a time to laugh.” I personally think we need more laugh time and I ditto what Henry Ward Beecher said about this subject: “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.” Soooo – one more funny for the road: “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot and anyone gong faster than you is a maniac?” ~ Compliments of George Carlin
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org
