Sometimes things happen to you that you just can’t write about in a blog post. You want to, though. They are events that make you laugh harder than you’ve laughed in a long time. They are the kind of bizarre things that you just can’t make up. But then, you really can’t write about them. They’d embarrass someone. They might even impede the gospel’s progression. They might close a door that otherwise could be at least a little ajar for the good news in some life. One of those things happened to me recently and I can promise you that the sister I was with (if she’s reading) is reminded of a search for a lost phone on a very warm Sunday afternoon and she is laughing at the memory.
As I think about that day—the one I can’t write about—I’m glad I’ve had a lifetime of laughter with Christian sisters.
I’m glad for scores of ladies day lunches, Christian camp late night silliness, road trips and campaigns. Being with evangelistic sisters with whom I can talk freely and laugh heartily is amazing therapy. 2020 is a time in my life when I need laughter and the camaraderie of women who are looking to eternity and trying to win souls. So much separation and sadness and so many obstacles have been (I believe) strategically placed in our paths by the devil this year. He’d love it if Christians could be depressed. He’d like us to bring the unrest of the world around us into the body. He’d love to make us wonder whether people in our congregations really care about the things that are challenging for us. He’d think it was a good thing if he could make us less involved in each other’s lives. He’d like each of us, personally, to become discouraged with ourselves, with our spiritual progress, and maybe even with our congregations that are struggling to be together and to be the strong support that they’ve been in more normal seasons. We are challenged to try to remain strong and soul-conscious when we’re without our usual vacation Bible schools, classes, seminars, gospel meetings, conferences and ladies days —events that normally serve as the mortar that binds us. One thing is for sure: Cindy Colley is learning the intrinsic value of physically coming together to edify each other. 
Although there have been times in my life when I thought I was overdoing the “togetherness” with Christians, I’ve learned in 2020 that being “too” busy with such events is far better than this fellowship famine. Certainly one ingredient that I’m short on during this difficult season, is laughter with my family in Him.
I hope you’ll join me in praying daily for our leaders—the elders in our churches—as they make tough decisions about resuming our assemblies and activities together. When they do resume activities, I hope we’ll all be back with a passion. Let’s be sure we’re not back at Walmart, back at the salon, and back at the restaurants while failing to be back at work together for Him at every opportunity. I hope you will pray with me daily for our unity, for our support of those elders, and for the defeat of the devil’s ploys to discourage us. Pray that we will view the amazing price that Christ paid for the church as reason enough to do all we individually can do to protect her from division, even in times when the world is an increasingly hostile place. I’m praying that I’ll always view “my people,” not as any race or even physical family, but as the people of God.
And pray for laughter together again…the kind we can hear and see…up close and in person.
“A merry heart does good like a medicine.” I think I need a good dose!
