you make me laugh

Something someone said to me today really struck a chord.

The person said, very simply - "You make me laugh!"

Well, it wasn't said, as in 'spoken'. It was more said as in 'written'. In an e-mail.

And I've never actually met the person before, nor myself been in touch before.

It's all to do with a wedding that's taking place here this coming Saturday. Not one that I'm conducting, attending or involved in at all in any way. Except that the couple being married are using our buildings for the service and the reception.

They belong to another fellowship not really that far away. Who don't have their own set of buildings and normally meet in a school. Which is fine, most of the time. But not so great when it comes to weddings.

And Saturday's now the big day. Not long to go. And the last week sees all the little details getting finally tied up.

The person I've been in touch with - again and again throughout the day - is the so-called 'Wedding Organiser' (or 'Manager' - I forget the exact title).

I wouldn't fancy being in her shoes at all! It must be quite an undertaking.

She's had all sorts of questions. I can understand that. She needs to be sure that everything's fine and all right. You only get your wedding once after all.

So I like to ensure that the hassle is somewhat removed by the use of a little humour. And I think it maybe worked.

"You make me laugh!"

I think that's what the Lord does. He makes us laugh again. In the face of all life's hassles and hurdles, he makes us laugh. Turns our sorrows into joy, our darkness into light.

'The oil of gladness instead of mourning,' as he once puts it.

Anyway, it's a wedding week. And what she said made me think of how the way that Jesus lived did exactly that in the lives of people.

He puts a smile on the face of the world again. He makes us laugh.

'A crown of beauty instead of ashes ... the oil of gladness instead of mourning ... a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.'

I spent a bit of time this morning with the bride, some bridesmaids and her pastor, showing them round the church. Letting them get the feel of things and see how they wanted it all.

Trying to put them at their ease a bit.

Which I normally do with a couple and the bridal group at a pre-arranged rehearsal.

This couple, though were dispensing with that. Their pastor's view was the rehearsals are a really stressful thing. And one you're best to do without.

Which is strange. I take the entirely converse view. The rehearsal for me is a brilliant way of removing the stress and putting them all at their ease.

I make them laugh. I think it's as simple as that.

It's maybe dressed up as a rehearsal, but it's really designed to put them all at their ease. Remove the stress. Enable them all to enjoy the whole thing.

The 'oil of gladness' sort of thing.

"You make me laugh!"

I think that's a pretty good way of describing what Jesus did. And does.

Not that he's a stand-up comic sort of thing. Or looks to us to copy Peter Kay.

Except in effect. In the way he makes people laugh. Puts a smile on their faces. Helps them feel good again and able to cope with all of the hassles of life.

I guess that's why people pay good money to go and hear these stand-up comics like they do. At the Apollo Theatre or wherever.

"You make me laugh!"

Jesus seemed to give folk in the clutter and the darkness of their lives a whole new bright perspective on it all. The sense that, yes, with the help of God, they'd now be able to cope.

Life could be different. Fun again. Something to be enjoyed.

It was that sort of thing at night again as well. I was out to see the lady whose husband of 60 plus years had died a week or two ago.

The funeral service had been last week, so I thought I'd call on in and see her once again. Her son was there as well, which was great. The one who came to be a follower of Jesus from a pretty shady, dark and desperate sort of lifestyle he'd once had.

This is 'oil of gladness instead of mourning' ministry again. 'A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair'.

I don't mean a superficial comic turn. Telling a series of jokes. That would be so utterly insensitive. It wouldn't be a help at all. It wouldn't be remotely how the Lord himself would be.

That's not what I mean when I say that he makes us laugh.

I mean that he gives us the laughter of hope, the laughter of praise and of trust, the laughter of knowing that somewhere out there there's a God who is wonderfully good.

I mean he simply raises us up, as it were, to live again, or as the West Life song puts it, to be far more than we could ever be. And ourselves to make other people laugh again as well.