It’s been stressful here lately. In addition to a sick cat (who is better some days and worse others), last Sunday, our upstairs neighbor’s pipe burst. (Thanks, subzero temps!) The lights, fans and ceilings in my bathroom, furnace room and dressing area were soaked and will have to be replaced. I had an electrician in on Monday to make sure it was safe to use the lights, and I have estimates for the rest of the damage. They tell me they won’t know the extent of the damage until they open up the ceiling. (Oh, goody. Construction mess!)
A while back, my sister mentioned a Christian comedian she’d seen. I found her on Netflix and watched a show. As is so often these days, her language was, um, salty. Very salty. I hate that. It’s ugly and unnecessary. There are better words to use.
So I turned to someone I’d seen before. Have you heard of Jeanne Robertson? She is no longer with us, but her DVDs and YouTube videos are. I got all that Amazon has and started to watch. No salt. Just gasping-for-air laughter. Just what I needed.
(If you want a taste, check out “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store” on YouTube. Unfortunately blurry but one of her best stories.)
But here’s the thing: she talks about “finding the humor in stressful situations.”
(I’m just going to let that sit there while I look at my situation . . . Nope, no humor.)
But there is, surprisingly, grace, peace and comfort, because my Heavenly Father is here, giving me the wisdom I keep asking for. It’s amazing how calm I am.
We’ll get through this, and maybe someday laugh at it (don’t hold your breath). But for now, I’ll laugh at other people’s humor and hang on tightly to My Father’s hand. He knows the way through this mess, and I’m going with Him.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version