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"Hard is not hopeless." - General David Petraeus



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Lord's Gentle Humor

You might be surprised to learn that the one thing that makes God very real, and very personal to me, is His lovely sense of humor.

Different people believe different things about Him--that He's just some omnipotent being that created the Universe then went on vacation; that He's a cruel taskmaster; that He doesn't even exist.

I know the One who sent His son to die on the cross for me.  He is very real.  Very personal.  And has the best sense of humor of anyone I know.

Take Monday for example.  Since March 19th, I've been on a rigorous physical journey--drastic dietary changes and more exercise to lose weight and get healthy.  Every Monday morning, I weigh myself to see how I'm progressing. One week I lost 5 pounds, the other weeks I've been losing at a rate of 3 pounds per week.

This Monday however, I stepped on the scale and there was only one pound lost.  One.  To say I was cranky is an understatement.  I went about my morning chores ranting and raving about how I'd worked so hard all week, ate that boring food, and all I had to show for it was one pound.  I was not a happy camper.

When I finally stopped storming around the apartment in my snit, sat down and opened up the day's devotional, the first words staring back at me were:

"Are you impatient?"

Uh.  Possibly. 8-)

You might have a tendency to say that was a coincidence, but I know better.  The Lord has spoken to me through humor more times than I can count.  I have come to depend on it to get me through life.  That's made a lot more bearable with this very real, very personal, and yes, very humorous God that I serve.

9 comments:

Nicole said...

I agree. And his perfect sense of irony is amazing.

But good for you, Brenda. One pound is still one pound less. You're a trooper.

Edie Melson said...

Brenda, great post! Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Blessings, E

B.K. Jackson said...

Nicole,

I agree. He truly is amazing.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

B.K. Jackson said...

Thanks, Edie. And quite an interesting journey it has been!

Anonymous said...

Brenda,

I've been on an exercise and weight loss track for several months, so I can certainly identify with your lack of enthusiasm over losing "just one pound".

But look at it this way. At least you didn't hold steady and you certainly didn't gain!

So good for you!

B.K. Jackson said...

Thanks, Carrie. I knew this would be a long term (even lifelong) thing going in, but somehow it's hard to avoid the disappointment when you've been on a roll. But there's always next Monday's check in.

Can't wait to see what the devotional is next Monday morning! 8-)

Connie Almony said...

I so relate. Both on the weight loss issue and on the impatience. I used to work in the weight loss industry. If you weigh daily it's deceiving. You actually lose a lot of water in the beginning and then plateau as the water balances out. This can even cause weight gain at times so don't dispair. Just eat healthy and take care of that temple of the Holy Spirit. Nourish and love it :o) ... and be patient. Ha! God is good!

Anonymous said...

Patience is a virtue God has been trying to give me for years.

A pound is a pound. Still positive. And don't forget since you're exercising, muscle weighs more.

B.K. Jackson said...

Connie: Yep, I know I'll be in this for the long haul but that patience thing...man that's hard. 8-)

Vol: Thank you for the encouragement. I'm still sticking to my guns. Dropped another 2 pounds this past week. So I'm making progress.