Have A Laugh!

          There isn't too much worse in the summer than summer television viewing with all of its reruns. Unless of course you decide to include daytime television, which is always poor year round, or watching the Philadelphia Phillies stumble.   Maybe the summer Olympics will at least provide a fresh and exciting option this summer.
          However there is one summer show that we really enjoy watching and that is "America's Got Talent".   Sometimes the talent shown is outstanding and unique and very entertaining.  But then there are some acts which are really very poor and they usually quickly get the "four X's" from the judges and are sent home.
          Earlier this summer there was a female contestant whose objective was to make everyone laugh.  She did this by laughing herself throughout her complete audition.  And then she tried to sing a song whose lyrics were all laughing.  She didn't last long and quickly was eliminated by the judges who weren't too impressed or even amused.
          However the audition did remind me of three other situations that involved singing and laughing.  The first is a number by George Younce of the Cathedrals.  Now George was an excellent singer and the Cathedrals in their day were exceptional.   And I guess George's laughing song was to be cute and folks apparently did enjoy it and laughed along.  I guess I thought it was different.  Had he been on "America's Got Talent" he would have also gotten the "four X's" - that is like getting the gong on the old "The Gong TV Show".  If you would like to hear George's song, here is a link to it.  LAUGH1
          But my other two memories of laughing while singing did not happen on purpose.  When I was in elementary school my grandfather was pastor of a large church in Bethlehem and I often stayed with my grandparents at times in the summer.  My uncle was also a pastor, but he was pastoring a small mission church in Trenton, New Jersey.  In the summer his church often held tent meetings with the hope of reaching new people.
          One summer while I was visiting my grandparents, the Bethlehem congregation took a Gospel team to conduct one of the tent services in Trenton.  The team included a women's trio.  My grandfather was to preach.  And since I was visiting that week with my grandparents, they took me along to the tent meeting.
          During the service the women's trio started to sing when suddenly several flying insects were attracted by the lights.  They started flying around the heads of the singers who tried to swat them and wave them away while singing.  But soon their singing turned to laughing and they were just unable to stop laughing.   It is strange how the picture of an event that happened over 60 years ago can still remain in one's mind.
          The third incident also happened many years ago.  I was part of a male quartet in our church that included Tom Bowman, Pastor Thomann, Mark Guthrie and myself.  One morning we began to sing "A Little Talk With Jesus".  In case you don't know it, here are the words.

(1)    I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in,

And then a little light from heaven filled my soul;

It bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above,

And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole.

Chorus:

Now let us, Have a little talk with Jesus,

Let us, tell Him all about our troubles,

He will, Hear our faintest cry,

And He will, answer by and by;

Now when you, Feel a little prayer wheel turning,

And you, know a little fire is burning.

You will, Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

(2)     Sometimes my path seems drear, without a ray of cheer,

And then a cloud of doubt may hide the light of day;

The mists of sin may rise and hide the starry skies,

But just a little talk with Jesus clears the way.    Chorus

(3)     I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears,

But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night;

I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care,

And Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.     Chorus

          We were doing well until we hit the second verse when we all suddenly struggled with the phrase "and then a cloud of doubt".  Together we burst out laughing at our mistake and we just couldn't stop.  It was embarrassing, but funny.  I don't remember if we ever finished the song or not, but I will never forget that phrase and that experience.
          Incidentally, here is a video of another quartet which had some trouble and fun trying to sing the same number. Maybe you'll enjoy their experience.    LAUGH2
          Well I guess we have all had situations, maybe not singing, which have made us laugh uncontrollably.  If you haven't, you don't know what you have missed.  And the scripture does remind us, in Proverbs 17:22,  "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."   I hope you have a cheerful heart today and can find something good to laugh about.
          P.S.  Maybe you'd also enjoy this music video.   LAUGH3