The Exodus: Singing or Sighing

The Exodus: Singing or Sighing

“…I will sing unto the Lord…”

No doubt when the children of Israel left Egypt it was with great rejoicing!  After so many years of praying for God’s deliverance, it was finally here.  Though they could hear the wailing in Egypt because of the Passaover, and though they had many unknowns in their future, they left Egypt with a triumphant shout, singing, and laughing.  Rejoicing in the Lord. 

Our family had gone through a few years in the emotional turmoil of trying to find the will of God for our lives.  It was a restless time for us as we waited on the Lord for clear direction.  And after two years of prayers the answer finally came.  There was much excitement and liberty in knowing God’s will, and it seemed that as soon as the decision was made God miraculously began opening doors.  Things got moving much faster than we ever imagined possible.  God was working everything into place and we began filling up our schedule right away.  What great comfort there was in knowing that it was God who was moving on our behalf.

Even in the midst of all the excitement I had to work at keeping myself singing and praising God.  It’s all too easy to become tired and start sighing as different unexpected circumstances that come our way. 

We were at our very first out of town meeting.  The church was HUGE and I felt so small and lost in the midst of so many people.  My husband was off talking to the church folk, our three oldest children were at the playground with friends and I was dutifully standing next to our table with Steven trying very hard not to look as intimidated as I felt.  I was talking with some ladies when I heard a child screaming, “PEOPLE, PEOPLE… WE NEED YOUR MONEY!”  I broke out into a cold sweat, and prayed that that wasn’t one of my kids.  I turned around to see Steven (3) holding a coffee cup and screaming again, “PEOPLE, PEOPLE… WE NEED YOUR MONEY!”  I know you’re laughing, but I wanted to melt into the ground.  Everyone in the foyer had stopped and were looking at this little missionary kid begging for money.  I grabbed him and held him and tried to chuckle off my embarrassment.  We had recently let the kids watch the Little Rascals, and there was scene in the movie after the kids clubhouse burned down that the kids were out begging for money.  Steven thought this was hilarious, so of course when he finds an empty coffee cup he knows what they are for!  When I relayed the story to my husband I was so red-faced from embarrassment, he put his hands on my shoulders and said, “Laugh before you start crying”.

After a year of deputation, I come to find more and more that this was really good advice.  There can be many stressful situations on deputation that can be alleviated by just laughing it off.  Deputation is a long journey and we just can’t take everything too seriously, we’ll lose our minds if we do! 

There was the time my boys were throwing the football around in the parking lot and almost decapitated the pastor!

Or the time when Steven told some people , at a church we were just visiting, that we didn’t have a house and we lived in our car.  Those poor people were sooo concerned!

Then on one occasion, someone gave Steven an etch-a-sketch.  He was completely convinced that it was an ipad!  This was all fine and good, until he went into a church one day and started telling the people there that he got an ipad.  By the time we got into church, people were whispering and staring.  Finally someone came and asked me if I really thought Steven was of age to have an ipad! 

One Sunday we stopped in to visit a church in the area, and as I was dropping the kids off to their Sunday school classes I see two lice run across Becca’s bangs.  We got the kids out of class and excused ourselves with the pastor and told him Becca wasn’t well.  Of course, Becca chimes in, I’m fine….

Recently, we were at a missions conference.  The international banquet spread was huge, and the dessert table looked wonderful!!  Steven inhaled his food so fast he gagged himself, stood up, and threw-up all over himself and the table.... when we he was done he loudly says, "I finished all my food, can I have dessert now?"

Life is full of these kinds of embarrassing situation.  We can lose our minds if we take things too seriously.  We can choose to step back and find humor in our uncomfortable/awkward/embarassing situations.  Laughing is considerably better for our health and state of being.  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Prov. 17:22

Let’s find opportunities to sing and laugh, and enjoy the wonderful life God has given us.