Yesterday was April Fools Day. Were you the recipient of a prank or joke?

I called my good friend Lance to wish him a happy birthday only to find out it was his April Fools birthday he had placed on Facebook. Once my good friend Scott, the Minister of Music of our church, put a sealed envelope on my desk with his resignation enclosed. His resignation would have been devastating to me and the church.

When I realized that it was April 1st I said nothing to him but held the letter all day as if I was going to act on it. I love turning someone else’s practical joke into my very own!

Once a year, April Fool’s Day comes around allowing you to pull all our best pranks, tell your funniest jokes and play lighthearted tricks on your friends and family without consequence (at least most of the time). I wondered why this tradition existed and how it actually came to be.

Historians trace the tradition all the way back to 1582. Some believe that in 1582 France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, changing the start of the new year to January 1. In the Julian calendar, the new year began on April 1, so some people who didn’t get the news still celebrated as though the new year’s date had remained the same. This made them the “but of jokes and hoaxes,” and they were called “April Fools.”

There are other theories as well, but all of them center around the idea of hilarity, laughter, and fun. As a matter of fact, hilaria in Latin is simply translated “joyful.”

The Psalmist reminds us to “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.”

There are many other Psalms that remind us to come before God joyfully! I wonder why so many Christians seem to be unhappy and often hateful. Could it be that they have simply forgotten all that God has done. Maybe it is because they cannot find anything in their lives to be grateful for.

Easter makes me joyful. Of course, I am constantly being bombarded by negative and unhappy news. But when I focus on the big thing–I find happiness and joy.

Christians should be joyful 365 days a year and not just on April Fool’s Day.

This is my story…