They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus. These planets are light years apart.  Case in point.

My husband loves vehicles. One day we tried to count all the vehicles he has owned in his lifetime. We lost track somewhere around 27. None were new, mind you. He just loves to get a good deal on a used vehicle, drive it for a while and sell it for the amount he paid for it or, in most every case, more.

About 7 years ago, he stumbled upon a little Toyota truck without a back end, sitting in a field with a “For Sale” sign on the front windshield. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” was my first response when he said that he wanted to buy it.

He began immediately trying to sell me. “It’s a great deal!,” he said. “I will have the back end fixed up right away and painted, and it will look brand new!,” he said. “It will be a great truck!,” he said.

Petrified, I’m thinking, “What will the neighbors think?” Even though we had an extra car, the Jeep that Scott drove, I knew that this eye sore would have to sit in my yard until he could get it “fixed up”. He assured me it would be no time at all until it would look like new. Every day it sat in my yard unfinished, I would cringe as I passed it. He could not get that hunk of junk, I mean cute little truck, fixed fast enough for me. I kept nagging him about moving it where it would not be so easily seen from the road.

It is often the practice that we drive separately to church on Sunday mornings because Scott works in the media room. One Sunday morning soon after the truck came to live with us, I got the shock of my life. I drove into the church parking lot and saw the truck parked prominently on the first row.

I am glad no children were crossing in front of my car hurrying to Sunday School because I probably would have inadvertently run over them while I stared in shock at the truck. “No, he did not drive it to church!” Oh, but “Yes, Yes, he had!” I was mortified. I wanted to climb into a hole. I thought I would die of embarrassment right there. I went on to church and tried to block it from my memory, hoping somehow that no one would notice it.

Later that afternoon, I questioned him. “What were you thinking?” With a grin, he told me that he saw nothing wrong with it. I told him how embarrassed I was that he would drive that to church. He then proceeded to tell me how much all of his friends liked it. He told me that a lot of them had made a special effort to walk out to the truck and check it out. What!?! I guess all of them are from the same planet he is from!

After that Scott drove it to work. He teased me by sending me pictures of rubbermaid containers strapped to the axle with bungie cords, pretending that he was using the containers to carry his work equipment. I had to be a good sport about it, because he was. We still laugh about this, and he even gave me his permission to write this post.

Laughter has seen us through some tough times in our marriage. In sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, we have been in this thing together for 26 years. It has not always been easy. God used Scott’s Martian Truck to help teach me to lighten up, to embrace our differences, to not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes you have just got to roll with what life throws at you and to not make a big deal about it, even if you are embarrassed to death. God has used many life lessons to show me how you cannot take life too seriously. If you do, the stress will take your health.

God created laughter for us. We are created in His image, and I believe God laughs too. It probably helps Him when dealing with how rebellious these people He created are. Laughter is from Him, and it is life’s shock absorber. It helps us bounce on through our problems. It heals, comforts, creates a cushion against stress and is an antidote to anxiety. If you can laugh at your difficulties, you can probably learn to live with them.

We should always try to look on the bright side. (Philippians 4:8) Practice laughing every day. It is the only exercise our liver ever gets. Follow the Creator of laughter.  The gift of laughter comes from Him.

That truck is not the only thing that my husband and I differ on. We have learned to laugh about a lot of the differences, but then again sometimes, they are not that funny. One thing I am fairly certain of, I may be from Venus, but Mars is a very different place where they drive funny looking trucks.

Dear Lord: Thank You for laughter. I know You must laugh at us every day. Your Word says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. Help us to find the joy in every situation of life, knowing that You are there right beside us no matter what. You have plans for us to live the abundant life, that means fully embracing the good with the bad and learning to laugh a little bit in the midst of it. Help us to also share Your joy with others today and every day. Amen

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3

Who can relate to my Martian truck story? Come on ladies, can I get a witness? Guys, does your wife have a Venus dress with matching shoes and jewelry hanging in her closet?

Please share your funny stories, your experiences when laughter got you through a hard time, or just a word of encouragement to brighten someone’s day. Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today.  May you always find God’s joy to help you deal with the challenges of this life.