Life is not so complicated that when mistakes happen most of them can be viewed with laughter in the aftermath. Take for instance a story I once read about a husband and wife from a northern state wanting to go on vacation in Florida.
Somewhere in the purchase of their airline tickets, the travel agency became confused and booked the man going one day to Florida and his wife flying out the next day. It was a mistake, but they took it with an open mind and decided to go as scheduled instead of waiting and losing more time in correcting the situation. Both decided that when the husband arrived he would email his wife and tell her about the accommodations and how the weather was.
Everything was going great. The husband arrived in Florida on time and went to the hotel. He pulled out his computer and emailed his wife, or who he thought was his wife. In typing in her address he got one letter out of place and the email went to a lady that had just buried her husband. It was a simple mistake, but one that really confused several people.
In today’s world, as sad as it has become, people are hurting. Many feel the pains of guilt, shame, and regret. They look for avenues to overcome their pain and will look for avenues that can give them humor and allow them to forget their pain even if it is for the moment. People that do not know Jesus as their personal Savior will never really enjoy a fulfilled heart that is composed of humor and a satisfaction that takes on the world no matter what comes their way.
Many doctors will tell us they would rather treat a person that has a heart filled with joy instead of people that seem to have no hope. Patients can have the exact same symptoms yet the ones with a positive attitude and bright outlook for a tomorrow will improve quicker and heal more effectively. Proverbs 17:22 tells us: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
The story of this couple going on a vacation and the new widow tells of how awful some mistakes can be but in finding out the truth of the story can bring all of them to a time of laughter. The lady waiting on the reply from her husband must have gotten worried because she received no email from him but probably had an opportunity of calling him. The lady that just lost her husband and buried him that day had to be in a time of sorrow and the words of the email really shook her up.
The email went something like this and I am paraphrasing, “Hi honey, just want you to know I made the trip fine and it didn’t take as long as I thought it would. Everyone is in a hurry down here and the place is busy, busy. I am really looking forward to you joining me tomorrow. One last thing, it sure is hot down here!”
Of course ,this is only a fictitious story, but it has a lot of reality that could happen with it. The couple could laugh at not getting an email and the widow could only think of her impending death and trip to Hades. In real time we all need to understand that humor and laughter is good for the heart and that we should not be so wrapped up in the world today. Life is short and when we lose a loved one, we should grieve but hope that our loved one knew Jesus and will reside with Him for eternity.
