Several years ago, I was hired by a local hotel to work the night shift.  I have always been a “night person” so I thought this job would work out great.  It was sort of weird going to bed at 8 am when my shift ended but my body would usually allow me to sleep great for around 4 hours.   A nap was usually requested a couple of hours later but by the time my next shift at the hotel rolled around, I was ready.  Sometimes, when I worked on Saturday nights, we would head to church right away on Sunday morning before I slept.

I should have known that going to church or anywhere people gather after working a night shift without any sleep is extremely risky.  I tend to laugh uncontrollably when my brain is tired and I am never quite sure what will trigger the laughter.  If it’s something a person wouldn’t typically laugh at, my laughter is quiet and easily disguised.  If it’s something you would laugh at even when you’re well rested, it would make the “up all night” me fall on the floor and roll around gasping for breath.

Due to the fact that we were Catholic, we often times attended Mass at churches other than the one we were members of and on this particular morning we found out the services alternated between the church we drove to and another one several miles away.  It just so happened the services for that Sunday were at the church farther away.  I was so tired and I just wanted to go home and get some sleep but instead we headed down the road and entered the church located in the neighboring town.  We chose to sit on the outside end of a pew located near the back of the church.  Not long after we were situated a blonde woman walked in and sat down.  She positioned herself in the pew in front of us but chose to sit a bit closer to the inside aisle.   Not long after she was seated, the services began and everything seemed to be rolling along quite well.  About three fourths into the Mass, before Communion, there was time set aside for silent prayer and it was then, when I finished my prayers and opened my eyes I caught site of the woman ahead of us.  I saw her lean over just a bit to the right and all of a sudden I heard one of the healthiest doses of flatulence you could ever imagine!!!!  This was the day I knew God definitely had a sense of humor and without His amazing grace, I would have ceased to exist.

I had limited options at this point.  I could burst into laughter that would require my other half to carry a permit to bring a hyena to church, I could walk out, I could do my best to hold it in and fear I might release something similar or much worse or hope for lightening to shoot through the window and strike me dead!  I opted to hold it in and my walk up to receive Communion was one I’ll never forget.  I had a smile plastered on my face that most likely scared small children and had the priest hoping I would enter his confessional immediately following the service.

When Mass had ended and we were told to go in peace to love and serve the Lord, the woman that had nearly caused my brain to explode earlier leaned over and once again released a resounding blast of thunder that shook the rafters .  By this time I knew my self control had been stretched to the limit and when I burst out the doors of that church the laughter I had held in spewed out of me like lava from a volcano!

I would never choose to disrespect anyone, especially at church, but I do believe this day helped me to realize, prayers do get answered.  Some are answered in time, some are answered in ways we never imagined and some are answered within seconds of being heard!