Laughter is a gift

Do you know what’s green, leafy, and sings the blues? Elvis Parsley.

In the hot days of summer, with the world the way it is, I think we can use some humor. I picked up a joke book that some really good jokes in it, but I decided to share these jokes with you instead.

I was asking what the difference was between mime and pantomime, and no one would say.

Do you know why one side of the “V” formation of migrating geese is longer than the other? Because there are more geese on that side.

What’s large, gray, and doesn’t matter? An irrelephant.

Did you hear about the two silkworms that were in a race? They wound up in a tie.

Laughter is a gift from God.

When there have been days when I feel sad and listless, a funny movie, or a good joke will heal me. In 1964, journalist Norman Cousins set out to heal himself from a serious medical condition by watching funny movies. I don’t know that it works in all cases, but laughter certainly makes us feel better.

In Ecclesiastes, we read that there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh,” and Jesus made a promise: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” And when Sarah, in her old age, heard from some travelers that she was going to have a baby, she laughed. When the child Isaac, or “he will laugh.”

So it is good to laugh: A rich man wanted badly to take some of his fortune with him when he died. He prayed and finally God said, “OK, you can bring some.” So he found a large suitcase and packed it with gold bars, and soon afterward. He appeared at the Pearly Gates with his suitcase, and Saint Peter opened it up and said, “You brought pavement?”

Have a joyous week.

Pastor Tom Hyde

First United Methodist Church