And The Joke Was On Me

Once I sat in a a karaoke session and there was a very drunk looking man, who sang "I started a joke, that got the whole world laughing", totally oblivious to his surroundings, but entertaining the hell out of the surrounding people.

Later, the music died down, and there at a corner of the karaoke bar, was the drunk singer, down and out. And as the song goes, he muttered to himself, "but I didn't see, that the joke was on me."

When the night ended, everyone left in their groupies, laughing, chatting, enjoying each other. And the lights went off... And the man wakes up, in a perfectly sober state, and he finishes the song...

"Till I finally died, which started the whole world living."

And then, he picked up his things and trudged home to his family.

We all have our own, favourite songs.

And we all have our different stories.

Yet, this song has become my story, at least for today.

For many years, I covered up my troubles in my karaoke bar by serving the audience with myself. They say, in children's ministry, it's best that you forget yourself. Forget your image. Forget how people looked at you. But if you can draw out that most sincere laugh from the kids, you know you have connected with your audience. For those years, the laughs were enough to keep me going.

Then came today. The day the song ended and the joke started. And the joke was on me. I was the clown and I was at the wrong party. It wasn't cirque the soleil, just some pampered kid's party.

Today, I'm like the drunk of my church. People laugh at me. What a fool I've been. To serve the God of my heart and realise I'm just the Devil of the church. And I've been in the wrong place this whole time. A rejected stone.

Tomorrow, when I die, the world that I know will find their lives. No more that drunk fool in the room making a din. No more that drunk fool in the room fighting with them for applause. They will have their place, and I will have mine. My long road home.

At least, I brought some joy into some people's lives. And some hate into others who destroyed me.

Such is life.