If You"re Going To Be Able To Laugh About it Later, You Might As Well Start Now

Early in our marriage, Mike was hired as an associate pastor and I immediately began to angst about being a first-time "pastor's wife". I was secretly frustrated that no one could definitively tell me what a pastor's wife was expected to do (though I did get a great lesson in how to make coffee in those giant coffeemakers). How could I know if I was doing a good job if I didn't know what my job was? Finally a wise woman told me, "A pastor's wife is just that - the wife of the pastor. That's it." That lowered the angst level for a little while at least.

That's why I was ecstatic when I was asked to direct the annual children's Christmas musical (I didn't get a music education degree for nothing, and I knew this was definitely an area where I could shine). I even had a very accomplished accompanist in a retiree named Clara. In my personal need to please, I took myself 'way too seriously as a director, and that was most apparent during one Saturday morning rehearsal.

The children and I were singing along swimmingly when suddenly we heard a dreadful chord followed by a loud crash and WHUMP! When I looked over to the piano, Clara had disappeared. Fearing the worst, I leapt off the stage and raced to the piano only to find Clara lying on the floor. Actually, she was ROLLING on the floor in peals of laughter. "Did you hear that huge boner of a chord I played?" she gasped as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I haven't made one that good in a long time, and it gave me such a fit of the giggles I fell off the piano bench!"

As I helped her up, I was privately a bit miffed at her lack of decorum. Apparently my "miffiness" was written all over my face because Clara waggled her finger at me. "You need to loosen up a bit - if you're going to be able to laugh about it later, you might as well start now." The kids all giggled, and we went back to rehearsing, but an irrepressible giggle had permanently been planted somewhere deep inside me.

I have since come to believe that dimples simply mark the spot where God buried a giggle seed, and once one giggle seed comes out, others are sure to follow. In fact, I definitely feel a giggle seed at the corner of my mouth right now.  I see you have one, too.

P.S. Love to you, dear Clara!