Being Funny

From the 8th grade to graduating high school, I was in a life group (fancy name for Sunday School for all those who don't understand new, hip, Christian lingo). It was aptly named the All Girls Life Group and was put on by 4 of the most Christlike, coolest ladies around.

Anyway, it was through this group that I truly developed as a Christian. There would be days where we would be deep in the Word, soaking it all in. There would be days where we would sit around and talk, and there were days where we just went to McDonald's and hang out.

Now, I am a very serious person. Ask anyone from my high school. I can be very serious (or another word that I'm not going to use on here, but it rhymes with "witchy") But in those 5 years in that life group, I realized something:

Sometimes, really dumb things happen.
Sometimes, really crazy things happen.
Sometimes, really funny things happen.
And I like to tell people about it, but I don't like when people laugh at me.

You ever do something stupid and have people laugh at you? They always say "Oh, we're not laughing at you, we're laughing WITH you."

Everyone who has ever heard that saying thinks the same thing: "But I'm not laughing." Now, I do a lot of dumb things. Often. And while sometimes I forget it. I found a solution to that problem. Its not to tell them to stop laughing, because that makes it worse... But laugh at yourself.

What do you feel when people laugh at you? Shame. Shame is classic. Shame has been around since Genesis. The first thing that Adam and Eve felt after sinning was shame. But before, in a land of paradise, we weren't meant for shame. Shame is saved for sin, not for that time that you accidently fell down the stairs and landed in the arms of a very, very cute TA. Or the time you had to mime diarrhea to Spanish-speaking-only ladies...

Some of the most interesting people I know can be called 'shameless'. And they're all funny, when they're shameless for the right reason. I believe a lack of shame is the source of most humor. Those who are unashamed to be themselves are the funnest. Those who embrace the humor of life are those who can share it.

And one day, in the 10th grade, I decided I wanted to be funny. That's right. I made a conscious decision to be funny. But it required practice. Luckily for me, no one generally listens to 10th graders. So I had plenty of time to practice my comedic act.

That life group was where I got a chance to spread my creative wings with an audience. I used my love for storytelling to make friends. And like my father, I can tell stories with quite an amount of gusto. Well, one Sunday, in that class, I was telling one ridiculous story about something crazy that God did, and I heard it.

"Oh, Valerie, you're so crazy. You just crack me up."

It was through that where I realized how much I love to cheer people up. I genuinely enjoy it. See, laughing is a funny thing (pun unintended). I think its one of the funniest noises that God created. And He created a trillion different laughs. It burns calories too! Ever laugh so hard that your abs hurt? Its awesome. You should.

Today, I challenge you to find the humor in your day. Think funny thoughts. Wonder why we can't park in handicapped parking spaces, but we can go in handicapped bathroom stalls. Wonder why 12:00 am confuses us so badly. 12 am? Is that midnight or noon? Its mightnight. Which one? The one before the day or afterwards?

Find the humor in your day. And let me know what you find.