“My Great, Great, Great Uncle shot yours.”

Some wonder at my humor. Some have warned me what may happen if I continue with my kind of humor. But what if it is true and I simply tell it in a weird/funny way? Is that okay?

I came across the fact that my thinking may well be inherited.

This quote is a good one… "With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die."

Can you imagine who said that? He did pay dearly for his willingness to stand for what he believed. Any idea yet?

His name was Abraham Lincoln…one of my relatives away back.

No I won’t blame him for my weirdness. But I am thankful for his openness through the difficulties he faced – right up to the end.

About 17 years ago I met a young minister that was just plain crazy. My first introduction was when one of our mutual friends pulled us together for the initial meeting. Joey was his name. The minute that we met he began a series of jokes.

Joey was different. He wore running shoes with his suits on Sunday. He explained that his doctor told him that they were better fro his feet. The Sunday running shoes were clean and new compared to the other ones he wore during the week.

On the platform and behind the pulpit Joey was good at whatever he did. I loved his happiness… his bubble inside… his fun filled presence. It was good to be with Joey.

One day Joey and I were heading off to a meeting together. He looked at me carefully and made statement that stopped me short. He said, “You know… you might like to reconsider going along with me to this meeting. It will be along trip and we will be spending a long time together.”

“No problem for me.” I replied. “Why wouldn’t I want to be with you?”

“Well…” he replied, “You do know what my last name is – don’t you?”

“Yes…” was my reply, “Why does that make any difference?”

Joey grinned form ear to ear and said, “My Great, Great, Great Uncle shot yours.” Then he waited for my response.

His last name is “Booth” – and it is true he is related to John Wilkes Booth. I grinned at him and we both laughed long and loud. Here we were more than 150 years later after the incident that changed two of our relative’s lives – as not only friends but both of us as Ministers working together.

Joey taught me that it was okay to laugh and even be silly. That weird humor is okay. This younger brother of mine is a good friend.

I am thinking of wearing running shoes this Sunday coming up… but the church we will be ministering in is new to me and me to them. Maybe I am just a little hung up yet – after all these years. But if Joey was going there – he would have running shoes on.

Joey lives on the west coast of Canada and is often between there and his work in the Central America. (We connect through Facebook)

This morning I watched two crazy squirrels outside our front window. They chased each other round and round. Insane is a good word for them so early in the day.

I grinned to myself as I thought one must be Joey and the other is Murray…

Go ahead and laugh a little. It is okay to be happy, wear running shoes to church and even tell a joke of two. Do it for me and Joey.

~ Murray Lincoln ~