Stepping outside this morning into the rain on the way to church, I grabbed two oversized golf umbrellas that had been sitting outside since Hurricane Irma came through. We parked, and my boys both called “dibs” for having an umbrella to themselves. Halfway through a lecture about being willing to share the umbrella with their mother, I successfully wrestled one umbrella open and into position, then felt something drop onto my head.

It didn’t feel like rain- felt a bit heavier, drier, and leggier-

A stink bug.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love bugs. I’ve caught a few of these bugs in the house lately and let them back outside so they don’t die indoors.

Glad that I didn’t make a fool of myself (yet) by screaming in the church parking lot, I glanced up into the umbrella and saw another… and another… and another. Nine stink bugs moving all around on the inside of the umbrella.

Just then my oldest son wrestled open his umbrella- and also was rained on by stink bugs.

Seeing a minuscule patch of grass between all the tightly packed cars, I walked my heels and dress right over there and proceeded to try to shake the stink bugs out onto the grass. I knew it wasn’t their ideal habitat, but I had little choice in the way of green places at the moment.

The stink bugs refused to budge, despite my repeated attempts to dislodge them.

By now, another lady had pulled and parked near me, and we were both doing our best to pretend we didn’t see each other. I acted like ladies in dresses shaking dry umbrellas over grass was a normal Sunday affair, nothing to look at here. She avoided eye contact and proceeded on her merry way.

At this point, getting wetter by the minute, I made an executive decision. It was better to get rained on with rain than with stink bugs. My boys agreed more quickly than I expected, so we gently closed up our umbrellas, still full of stink bugs, and placed them carefully back into the car. This wasn’t ideal, but my only other options were leaving the umbrellas in the grass to blow away or take them inside the church and spread the love, which didn’t seem like a loving choice either.

After 3 hours of church services and 11 minutes of walking in the rain (for which we were strangely ok with), I got home without any bugs flying at me while driving and successfully opened the umbrellas outdoors, leaving the bugs to hopefully find a new home other than the umbrellas.

Why do I share all of this? I thought about applying some deep spiritual principle. Something about the ups and downs of life and how even while preparing to avoid one type of rainy season, we often find ourselves right in the midst of another “stinkier” season. But really, I just wanted to share today’s laugh with you. I have successfully laughed at least once per day for the past 18 days in a row- I know, because I’m counting, and praying for daily opportunities to laugh- because I think sometimes in this world of money troubles, sickness, worries, and stress we forget to just laugh. To enjoy this day that God has made.

Maybe you should ask God to help you laugh daily too- who knows in what creative way He will answer?