Laugh, Party, Play!!??

Being a ‘church’ person and never one to really stray too far from my church duties as a productive member at home, at church and in society, the word ‘fun’ has alluded me and turned on me. I could never see how to have ‘fun’ and still stay in the confines of the rules and guidance of church work. Through the years I’ve grown to realize that what others consider ‘fun’ would have turned on me and made my moments of ‘fun’ become hours, days or years of regret. So I kept working and finding ‘fun’ in other ways such as writing, sharing, loving others, kindness. I didn’t look like the ‘fun’ type. I’m not invited to a lot of parties. But I’ve gained a sense of peace in this area with the lessons I’ve learned from what life really is.

Still…When I was looking towards the Holy works for humor, laughing, light heartedness, I was kind of dismayed that humor, wit, laughing isn’t a huge subject matter in the deep works of salvation.

One can only imagine that true salvation isn’t a laughing matter. But I was hoping for some lightness to my work.

When looking for laughter most of the time in The Holy Bible it is derisive, laughing the important ideas to scorn, it is mocking. This is not the laughter I was looking for and surely not the kind that would lift thought and heart. 

Over time I have realized that hymns, Psalms, parables, the work of salvation, gives us a sense of joy that is incomparable to the lacking spasmodic joys this life gives to us. It may be hard to see at times how constant Church work has a reward of joy. But the lessons we are learning here are for a lifetime of eternal joy. It is just our definition of ‘fun’, ‘joy’, ‘frivolity’ that needs to be adjusted, not the Church and its branches of learning.

Looking I found, Sarah laughed at the idea of have a child so ‘late’ in life. God ‘winked’ at the ignorances of mankind and then demanded men to repent.¹ The idea of others also winking was a form of laughing or making fun of others. Not a kind or happy version of laughter…laughing AT others!

Jesus was laughed to scorn² when he was just about to show how Life defeats death!

Actually when one begins to look we find there are many warnings against laughter, such as, “Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”³ AND “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”⁴

Pretty heavy stuff! But where’s the joy, the rejoicing, the happiness? Is life doing God’s work all drudgery and woe? NO!  There is so much love and joy that comes with it. A joy that nothing and no one can take away from us, it is a joy that comes from loving Love.

It comes from understanding. It comes from realization. It comes from a lifted spirit and thought. It comes from seeing where joy comes from and who gives it to us.

Is it from drinking and partying? Nope. Is it from sensuality? Nope. Is it from laziness and procrastination? No. It is from serving God, Good. It is from turning away from our personal sense of what is ‘fun’ and seeing that all Good comes from a Divine Source. It is turning away from the beliefs of life in matter and realizing that Life is God, Life is ever-present Good, Life is the fulfilling of the Law and our fulfillment. It is finding and understanding true Love. It is witnessing to wisdom, joy, and intelligence from a higher source than just our meager beliefs, opinions and lack luster thoughts.

Joy that is based upon the mortal experience is extremely fleeting. But joy and happiness found in God is ever-present, progressive, growing, and when understood—it is a constant in our lives. It isn’t just a weekend thing it is a moment by moment expression, a reflection, a rejoicing of Truth, Life, and Love. It is not a wished for lacking commodity. But a constant expression of knowing who and what we are as the children of God. We can turn to Him always and feel the joy of His perfect presence. It is truly the words of David, “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”⁵ AND “Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”⁶

In the Christian Science textbook we are warned, “Final deliverance from error, whereby we rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached through paths of flowers nor by pinning one’s faith without works to another’s vicarious effort.”⁷ “Then shall Soul rejoice in its own, in which passion has no part.”⁸  “Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God.”⁹

Those that think that life here is just one big party of fun and games have the rug pulled out from them when times get tough. Then they try to run with the crowd that have been working for their own and other’s personal salvation. But it doesn’t work that way. We must all “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.”¹⁰

The life of a Christian may not look like all fun and games to those that do not understand or want to work at anything that is so life altering. But that’s okay! Those of us who are working and rejoicing sing with the Revelator, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”¹¹

Come, join us, work, learn, understand the higher sense of joy. Let us be ready at all times for His Good and rejoice!  It may not be a belly laugh and a party. But the work, love, joy, happiness that gratitude brings makes me smile and feel I’m with Peace. Let us look towards His pleasures, for after all, our Master reassured us by sharing this delightful truth, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Just think! ‘the kingdom’! Now that is worth the wait, the work, and skipping a lot of parties. The gift of our Father’s good pleasure! That’s how I roll…

Gentle hugs

1 The King James Version of The Holy Bible The Acts of the Apostles 17 vs. 30
2 ibid Matthew 9 vs. 24; Luke 8 vs. 53
3 ibid Luke 6 vs. 25 (Woe unto you that laugh)
4 ibid James 4 vs. 9, 10
5 ibid Psalms 119 vs. 162
6 ibid Psalms 149 vs. 2
7 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy pg 22 line 23
8 ibid pg 64 line 21
9 ibid pg 15 line 25
10 The King James Version of The Holy Bible I Corinthians 2 vs. 3
11 The King James Version of The Holy Bible Revelation 19 vs. 7