deaconfarley | April 30, 2008 11:07
Laughter! When was the last time you had a good laugh? Did it make you feel better? What causes you to laugh? Have you ever considered it is a gift from God?
When I was growing up one of my favorite entertainers was Jerry Clower. As a young adult I was even privileged to see one of his shows in person that was a real treat.
You ask where am I going with this and why am I talking about Jerry Clower? You may even be asking who is Jerry Clower? Jerry Clower always knew how to make people laugh. His hilarious Southern humor has been making folks laugh long before anyone ever heard of Jeff Foxworthy or Blue Collar Comedy. This is comedy that will not only make you laugh (hard), but you can listen to it with anyone and not have to worry about offending them. He was even quoted as saying “I never made an album you couldn’t play in church”.
He was very proud of his family and his faith. Every now and then he would be telling a story and while you were waiting on the punch line he would let you know he was a Christian and he would use the term born again Christan. Okay that answers who Jerry Clower was. Now I will tell you why I am talking about Jerry Clower. Last year on my birthday my wife gave me a CD of Jerry Clower one that I did not have. Jerry has been dead for almost ten years. I realized that he has left something behind that lives on. The very last cut on the CD is titled Laughter Cures All. He talks about laughter and you can hear people in the background laughing. He ends by saying “I believe laughter is God’s gift for failure, misery, depression, wrath, remorse, sickness, disease, gout, cataracts, common cold, war, cruelty, cancer, poverty, pain, exploitation, prejudices, hunger, failure, abuse, violence and death. Think of all them bad things we must cling to laughter. I’m convinced there’s just one place where there ain’t no laughter and that in hell and I’ve made arrangements to miss hell, so ha, ha, ha,… ha, ha, ha”. What a statement! In front of an audience that came to be entertained. Not only did he affirm that there is a hell, but he told the audience he had made arrangements to miss hell. If only I could be so bold.
His albums are still on store shelves for sale. His profession of faith lives on even after his death. I feel sure he is somewhere in Glory laughing today.
The reason I went this way is because I felt like I needed to do a post on laughter and I think of Jerry Clower as an example of laughter, a man with a testimony that lives on.
What will you leave behind? Will people be able to tell by your example where you went when your life is over? Do you live a Christ like life?
Psalms 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
So today as I close my post I will leave you with a ha, ha, ha!
May God Bless You!
Brent
I am from Sparta Tennessee. It is a small town in the middle of the state East of Nashville and West of Knoxville.
I have been a Christian for twenty - one years. This does not mean that I am perfect just forgiven, saved by the wonderful grace of God.
I am married to a wonderful woman and we have four kids three boys and a little girl.
I am active in my community as well as in my church. I am currently serving as church clerk and treasurer. I was set aside for the office of Deacon and ordained in May of 2002.
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