Do you think they could hear that?

Not every minister's wife can say that her husband is just the same at home as he is at church and everywhere else he goes. But I can. Joe Green is one of the happiest people I know. He is a minister of the Gospel and a great communicator. He is a devoted husband, father and friend. He has the best laugh I've ever heard. In fact, I heard him laugh before I ever laid eyes on him! A few weeks after hearing that wonderful laughter, I had dinner with him. And a few weeks later he took me home to 'meet the family.' Within three months of our first date, I was married to the man! He has taught me many things...and one thing I'm still trying to learn: Joe can laugh at himself. I take myself waaaaay too seriously and he has shown me it's okay to laugh at yourself. Let me give you a "for instance" that will illustrate this point perfectly...

One Sunday morning, Joe drank a large amount of water before church and realized during the offertory that if he was going to stay in the sanctuary for the sermon, he'd better visit the restroom. And since he was the minister delivering said sermon, he needed to move swiftly. He slipped out of the chancel area and made his way to the restroom located behind the choir loft. He 'did the deed' and flushed. Looking down, he realized his wireless microphone was still on. He quickly turned it off, then washed his hands as he wondered if the sound might have been picked up through the wall by the sound system. After all, if it was then the sound technician would likely have turned it off. But the sound guy had come down from the balcony to put his check in the offering plate...the slide for Joe's wireless microphone had not been muted.

Joe came back into the sanctuary to the beautiful strains of The Doxology: "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow..." (Ha! Get it? Flow...! Never mind.) Anyway, many of the congregation who had heard the ministerial mistake were working hard to sing and not burst into laughter at the sight of the recently relieved reverend. When the congregation sang the "Amen," he made a quick remark in jest, laughed at himself, then proceeded with the service. Pretty good, huh? He just laughed and let it go.

But not me...I told him afterward that he should have at least left the mic on long enough for the folks to hear him wash his hands!!!


Remember, friends, if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!