Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Grilled House Shoes
I had given my seven-year-old granddaughter, Vivienne, a new pair of house shoes when she spent three days and nights with me. She liked the soft and colorful gift a lot more than I thought she would. She soon discovered she had a great talent for kicking one leg up high which made the house shoe come off and fly through the air. Vivienne loved doing this trick, and I didn’t mind because it was harmless. We never knew where the thing would land – it was anyone’s guess. As I was preparing a grilled-cheese sandwich for her lunch, she ran into the kitchen, stood on one side of the stove and quickly threw her leg up into the air. I could tell she was going to do this, but I couldn’t get the words out fast enough — “NOOO, don’t do it!” The house shoe went flying high into the air and landed perfectly on top of the sandwich in the skillet. The only thing we could do was laugh like crazy as I wiped the butter off the house shoe and then placed the grilled-cheese sandwich on her plate. And she ate it!
For the most part, I would say we all need to lighten up! Keep a watch out for the funny stuff that happens all around us. King Solomon stated that, “A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul” (Proverbs 17:22 TPT). Other translations refer to a “cheerful heart, joyful heart, glad heart, happy heart” as good medicine. And there’s no cost or side effects – what a delightful bargain!
“A glad heart makes a happy face…” (Proverbs 15:13 NLT). We can’t really hide what’s inside of us because our face takes its cue from our inside signal. Have you ever been asked, “What’s so funny?” Or “What’s wrong?” Our family and friends are looking at our face when asking either of these questions. Charles Swindoll writes, “A well-developed sense of humor reveals a well-balanced personality…The ability to get a laugh out of everyday situations is a safety valve. It rids us of tensions and worries that could otherwise damage our health.”
I remember a certain driving experience when I wasn’t late, but I had no time to spare. I was on my way to play piano at church, so I was on an important mission. The driver in front of me was probably going the speed limit of 40, but I felt like a ticking time bomb. I checked the straight road ahead and there was no oncoming traffic for a long way. So I put the pedal to the metal and passed the guy in his manly truck. He honked at me, and as I looked in my rear-view mirror I saw the finger! I got flipped off on my way to church! I didn’t endanger his life, so I guess I hurt his feelings because I was just a little gal driving a little SE car as I blew past him in his honkin’ truck. This incident didn’t make me angry; it struck me as funny! I started laughing and laughed all the way to church. Fortunately, we were not headed to the same church.
If we look for humor we’ll be more apt to notice the funny stuff in life. I realize it’s easier for some people to laugh than it is others. I come from a cheerful bunch on both my mom and dad’s side so I have a double portion. My mom used to say, “You might as well laugh as cry,” when something didn’t go as planned. I can still see my late brother laughing so hard that his face turned red and tears trickled down his cheeks. What a great way to take good medicine!
The Key: A smile is a facelift that everyone can afford and it prepares us for that belly laugh we so desperately need!