Falling Down Laughing

LEAH FARISH | GUEST Events of the last couple of years have robbed us of several wonderful things, and one of them is laughter. Oh, we’ve had a few humorous moments—I recall trying to talk from behind a mask.  I wanted to ask an acquaintance, “Are your roommates nice?” and instead said, “Are your roommates mice?”  I suppose she could have said, “Yes--I wanted to get a cat and they won’t let me….” And as we all resorted to written communication, typos abounded: “I loom forward to seeing you,” and “I’m drowning in the hot tub” when my friend meant “drowsing.”  I contributed this gem to one discussion: “I have a couple of other thighs to point out.” Churches tried to market themselves online, which reminds me of one cheery offer—“Don’t go crazy in isolation; let the church help!” My hope is that God will return joy and laughter to His people in the coming days.  Laughter is not something mentioned much in the Bible, but let’s compare two of those mentions. In Genesis 18, we see Abraham’s wife Sarah, eavesdropping beside the tent flap where, outside, Abraham was entertaining three mysterious “men.”  Through them, God spoke to Abraham and said that Sarah would bear a son.  She was old, well past childbearing age.  So she “laughed to herself” at the idea of pregnancy.

Falling Down Laughing2023-03-24T18:00:47+00:00

A Christian’s Quest

One theme common to many great stories is the idea of the quest. Any time the author takes the character on a journey, you can be sure there will be some sort of growth and self-discovery to follow. Whether it is Huck Finn rafting down the Mississippi or Bilbo Baggins making his way through Middle Earth, quests make for exciting reading.Most quests and adventures include the same elements: the character making the journey, the place they are going, the stated reason to go there, challenges and trials along the way, and finally, the discovery. What was the real reason they needed to make this trip? As Christ-followers, participants in God’s greater, grander story, we have quests of our own. This journey called “sanctification” can be a wild and wooly one. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could learn from someone else, who also went on a quest of her own? Sisters, meet Sarah. Sarah’s Journey We are introduced to this woman, originally called Sarai, whose name means “princess,” along with her husband Abram. She doesn’t seem like a candidate for a heroine; she’s just an ordinary woman, whose husband springs some news on her one day: Pack up. We’re moving.Whoa! I’m sure her first questions were the same as ours would be. Where? And why? And that brings us to parts 2 and 3 of our necessary requirements. Sarah is leaving the only home she has ever known and is going to the promised land. The reason was given to her husband. “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” Was Sarah excited? Was she nervous? She was about to begin the adventure of a lifetime! Was this journey of hope and expectation going to be life-changing? What was at the other end? Would Canaan welcome these travelers?

A Christian’s Quest2022-05-07T23:20:19+00:00
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