Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a
joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Ecclesiastes 9:7
It was summer vacation in the late 60’s, and our family had
gone to the Wisconsin Dells. It was beautiful with lush forests, rolling hills,
hiking trails, lakes and streams. We stopped one day at an appealing, tranquil lake where people were
swimming in the cool waters. We set out our blankets to take a little break
from our travels.
My dad was brave enough to take a swim in the very cold waters of this mountain lake. When he emerged from the water we couldn’t believe our eyes. His hair was green! We don't know what was in that water to turn his hair green, and not one other person had green hair, just dad. When he said, “I better go back in the water to wash it out,” we laughed. He emerged a second time with it even greener than before. A man on a nearside blanket said, “I had to take off my green sunglasses to make sure I was seeing correctly, but sure enough sir, your hair is green.” By then, we were rolling in laughter. Dad’s snow white hair was as green as grass.
My dad was brave enough to take a swim in the very cold waters of this mountain lake. When he emerged from the water we couldn’t believe our eyes. His hair was green! We don't know what was in that water to turn his hair green, and not one other person had green hair, just dad. When he said, “I better go back in the water to wash it out,” we laughed. He emerged a second time with it even greener than before. A man on a nearside blanket said, “I had to take off my green sunglasses to make sure I was seeing correctly, but sure enough sir, your hair is green.” By then, we were rolling in laughter. Dad’s snow white hair was as green as grass.
Dad could at times be such a funny man. He could make us
laugh. We would have many meals with laughter, and joyful hearts. Dad had
adopted Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” But he
also adopted Psalms 100:2, “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his
presence with singing.” Our family served God, and He had given our family His
blessing of laughter, love, music, song, and dance, decorated in an atmosphere of
God’s joy, and gladness. Psalms 126:2 says, “Then our mouth was filled with
laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations,
The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord had indeed done great things for our family. He had
blessed us with His love, laughter and song. Many trips in the car included
singing in four part harmony old hymns. Not all memories were happy ones, but
we do appreciate the recollections that brings smiles to our faces. For us, one such remembrance is the time
Dad’s hair turned green, and we turned bright red with laughter. The joy of the
Lord, was truly our strength.
Father God,
Thank you for your joy and laughter.
In Your Son’s Name,
Amen
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