I honestly don't know what I would do without laughter. If I didn't have the ability to laugh at myself I would be, well, very depressed. Ha. I am completely serious though. If I took myself seriously every time I did something idiotic I'd probably be dead by now.
But in addition to saving my life, laughter is also a vital part of my composition: joy to be specific. I already touched on this in an earlier post but I feel inclined to address it again, in another aspect.
How could I call myself a Christian and not be filled with joy? I understand that everyone has bad days and sometimes circumstances aren't all we desire. I have had days where honestly, I want to be grumpy. Something just gets to me and I take advantage of any excuse I can use to explain my discomfort. Someone asks me if I'm doing alright and I almost relish being able to say no and tell them why I am validated in my grumpiness. This doesn't happen to me often, but it occurs nonetheless. As I sit here and briefly meditate on my behavior on those days of self-imposed-misery, I am incredulous. Isn't this how two-year-olds act? Isn't it a younger child who often pouts when things don't go as desired? With all the children I have been exposed to during my life you'd think I would recognize bratty behavior in myself. You'd think.
Yet I am amazed at how many Christians I know who don't understand the joy that I usually have within me. Hang on a second, what is my testimony again? What has God done for me? How has He blessed me?
Oh. I see. And yet still there are days when I choose self-pity over joy. That makes perfect sense.
I feel like Eve. I let the world point out the one tree that I can't eat from, instead of the hundreds of others that I am free to enjoy. I let the one negative thing discolor the vast majority that is incredible. My perspective is distorted. I have equated joy with happiness, and that is a lethal mistake. I am loved by the King of the Ages and my best friend is the Creator. I can have joy in all that I do everyday, no matter what my circumstances dictate to me. So if anyone ever sees me choosing misery, please - hit me across the head or something and yell with the loving authority of God "Choose Joy!!"