Happy Friday, y'all! Little story for you:
Once, when I was wandering aimlessly through Blockbuster (a brick and mortar store which rented movies, for those of you who are unfamiliar), my purse began to fart.
That's right. It farted.
Phhhhhht.
Again and again. Loud, juicy sounds of extruded gas.
I looked down at the bloated bag hanging from my shoulder, and strangely, I knew immediately what had caused its flatulence.
One aisle over, doubled over in laughter, was my son (age 14 at the time). Of course. In his hand was a small remote with a button for activating a little portable machine which he had recently acquired at the church garage sale.
A remote-controlled Fart Machine.
Which he'd secretly placed in my purse.
"It's going off by itself! I swear!" he said through his laughter. "Look!" He held out his palm and the fart sounds just kept on rolling from my purse without his thumb touching the button.
I couldn't help it....I started laughing with him and we had to hang on to the DVD racks to keep from falling over. With each new "phhhhhhht" we tried to suppress our giggles, which only made it funnier. We exited Blockbuster without a movie, and I might add, without a shred of dignity.
My purse lost a bit of weight when I took the guilty machine out. And I wondered how on earth I hadn't noticed the extra tonnage over my shoulder as I'd wandered through the store. Maybe I was so engrossed in finding something suitably entertaining, I didn't even realize I was walking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
It got me to thinking about other things in life that weigh me down, without my even realizing it. I've often been so busy with solving day-to-day problems that I don't notice my furrowed brow, or my deep sighs, or my heavy feet.
But underneath the busyness, there's a weight of worry, or a load of regret, or a burden of fear. And I've gotten so used to carrying it all around that I almost don't feel it any more. It's usually not until someone (or something) makes me laugh, that I suddenly realize the heaviness I've been under, and in that moment....I can let it go.
Laughter is good medicine.
Prov. 17:22
Scientific Studies show that laughter is one of the best things going for keeping you healthy, both physically and mentally. Laughter releases stress-reducing endorphins, relaxes your muscles, lowers your blood pressure, and improves your immune system. It improves your mood, your personal interactions, and your outlook. It can even relieve pain! A good belly laugh might be just what the doctor ordered.
Are you feeling weighed down today? Give yourself a break and find something to laugh about. Phone a dear friend, rent a funny movie, watch cat videos on Youtube....be intentional about finding something joyful to savor. Let those burdens go. Take a deep breath and enjoy a lighthearted moment.
You might even put a fart machine in someone's purse. Just a suggestion.
What makes you laugh? Do you have a story about how laughter helped you cope with something difficult? Or do you have a favorite Youtube video that always makes you feel happy? Feel free to share!
Hey, its FRIDAY!!! Let's have some fun!
