I Just Couldn't Help It!

Sometimes funny things happen at inopportune times.  Worship is one of those inopportune times when you wouldn't want or expect anything funny to happen, but sometimes it does.  Although very rare, I can think of a few times when something really funny happened during worship and I just could not help it.  I couldn't keep from laughing.

Our third child, Jacob, was about 14 months old.  My husband, Joe, was the guest preacher at a small country church where his dad is actually the minister.  Joe had been holding Jacob on his lap, but in preparation to go up to the pulpit, he handed over Jacob to me.  Unbeknownst to us, Jacob had basically "exploded" in his diaper and "out" of it as well.  The problem was that it was all over my husband's suit pants!  Quickly I reached for some wipes and we did the best we could in the few seconds time we had to clean up the mess. 

Joe went up to preach and I took Jacob to the bathroom to clean him up.  By the time we got back there, he was dirty all the way down to his socks and shoes.  Fortunately, the little outfit was a two piece sailor suit (a hand-me-down from our older son) and not a one piece, so the undershirt was completely clean and dry.  Unfortunately, I never was good about taking a second pair of clothing when I went places - even with the third (and later even with the fourth) child.  I changed Jacob's diaper, wiped him off as best I could, and went back in to the auditorium - in only that little shirt and his diaper.

At the end of each sermon, a song is sung that serves as the time where people can come to the front for any needs - perhaps they've decided to become a Christian, or maybe they need prayers from the church. We commonly call that time the "invitation" song because it's the Lord "inviting" them to come to Him. 

This "invitation" song typically has lyrics that would make one think about their own relationship with God.  Not typically a "funny" time at all. But, this time when the song was sung, I just "lost" it.  I could not control my laughter.  I felt bad, but all I could think of was the "explosion", Joe's pants, and the lyrics of the chorus that were being sung to "Are You Washed in the Blood?"  Here is the specific part where I lost it after each verse:

Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?

I just couldn't help it!