You'll Never See Their Pain.

Have you ever really taken the time to get to know someone whom you find really funny? We all have that one friend who's a hoot, hilarious, a stitch, goofy or strange in a very funny way. They're a lot of fun to be around. They can make us laugh until we cry, but are they crying on the inside? Are they laughing with us and are we laughing with them? Or, are we laughing at them?

Some of the funniest people I know have been through the worst emotional pain you can imagine. Instead of sharing that pain, they tend to make jokes or laugh. Sometimes, they're the only ones laughing. Sometimes, they're the only ones not laughing. I think I'm pretty funny, but very often I am only funny to me. But still....I crack me up. If you really ever took the time to get to know me, you would find that I use humor to cover my pain, fears or stress. I don't want to be the wet blanket at a party, I want to be the life of the party. People laugh at me behind my back or, at least, they think they're laughing at me behind my back. Since I can still see and hear them, it isn't really behind my back. And, it's usually not at a time when I was trying to be funny. It hurts when people behave that way, but you can't make people be kind. It doesn't cost anything to be kind, but you would think that the cost is astronomical.

Maybe those around us don't recognize our pain. Maybe it's because they're self-centered and stuck in their own little worlds. Maybe they're in pain too. Maybe they don't care. Apathy is spreading faster than the swine flu. Everyone has their own daily stresses and catastrophes to deal with; why should they take note of ours?

God sees every tear that we cry and even collects them in a bottle. I think it's a beautifully colored bottle. The tears probably have a prism effect and cause the bottle to appear like oil that has risen to the surface of blacktop after a rain. Isn't is great to know that we'll have no tears in heaven! Shouldn't you do everything you can, at this very moment, to make sure that when you are standing on the threshold of heaven, waiting for your boarding pass, that you've done everything you possibly could to save the lives of your wife, your brother, your daughter, your best friend or your parents? Wouldn't it wound you greatly to see one of them standing in the opposite line with a boarding pass that reads "FAST TRACK TO HELL"? Don't you think you would shed a few tears?

Let's say for a moment that you are a world renowned scientist and you have discovered the cure for cancer. Would you continue to let everyone die or would you give the world the answer they needed in order to live? What if your child was drowning in your backyard pool? Would you jump in to save him or would you turn your back on him and wish him luck? It might go something like this, "hey little guy...I know you can't swim....hey good luck getting out of the pool....I hope you make it!" It's a sad thing to hear, but it's more sad to think that it happens all day long, every day.

If we who are older do not minister to or share the Gospel with those who are younger, we are no different than the mother who watches her son drown in the pool and then says, "Hey, sorry 'bout your luck!". We need to be an example; to be engaged in the lives of those around us who are bleeding to death or drowning. Even if you can't swim, you surely can throw a life ring into the pool.

I once heard a saying that Christians are the only soldiers who shoot their wounded. Here's an idea...what if we helped to heal the wounded? What if we stopped looking at ourselves and and looked around us to see all of those in need.

I would challenge you this Christmas not to spend so much energy on buying gifts. I would look for the funny guy or girl, the walking wounded, and minister to them. We all know someone who has lost something, someone or, even, everything. Take what money you would have spent on presents, that you probably don't need anyway, and give it to the person who really does have a NEED.

I hope you keep on laughing and, as always, that's my opinion and I welcome yours.

Have a God Blessed day!

Nancie