The Laughing Robot

The laughing robot goes through life in a robotic state. It goes to work, goes to church maybe, goes to school maybe, takes the kids to the next practice of some sort, goes home, fixes dinner, watches TV, then goes to bed crying itself to sleep or crying throughout the night. Yes laughing robots cry too, but only late at night when no one is around. It awakes all throughout the night in a state of sadness, depression, despair, and no real hope. The next day the process starts all over again, because it is programmed for laughter, fake happiness and facades of joy.

The laughing robot goes through life laughing whenever it needs to laugh, talks whenever it needs to talk, and acts as though it's happy. Deep down it's not happy though. It has no joy and fear has taken the place of its faith. Even in church the laughing robot believes things will get better, yet when it gets back home the process begins again. The laughing robot's soul has died. It's a black hole of nothing. It walks around in a trance doing all it has to in order to survive. It takes care of everything it has to take care of and even does it efficiently and productively. That's what laughing robots do. Yet emotionally it is an empty shell of zero. Too much has happened to it. And it has given up on its dreams, because there is no faith that they will happen. How can a dream happen when the dream is so big? Too big. 

Then one day out of the blue a shot of faith creeps in and the robot is feeling encouraged so it takes a step of achieving that big dream by doing something related to the big dream. It feels adrenaline, a shot of perseverance, of determination, then it stops dead in its tracks. Yet again. Doubt, fear, and terror has won again. The dream is just too big and it takes too much to make it happen, because how will the laughing robot deal with so much rejection? The fear of failure is too crippling to even think about. The laughing robot's history of going forward, stopping, going forward, stopping is center stage once again.

The sad part is that the laughing robot has what it takes to make it happen, because God has given it the gifts and talents for the dream. But it will not happen without taking crazy steps and leaps with no guarantee of success. And it won't happen without Jesus. That's the only way. So the laughing robot needs lots of faith, steady ongoing faith. It knows that going forward is like jumping off a cliff, ziplining on half a wire, walking up a flight of stairs without seeing all the steps. Scary.

Then another day out of the blue the laughing robot is shocked back to life. It has finally heard what the Lord has been saying. 'Go forth and multiply. Do the dream and I will catch you, carry you, and hold you. The dream can't fail because I have birthed it in you. It will happen. Have faith this time and trust me. And don't ever stop again. Stop running and doubt no more. I will open the doors. I will get the people. I will give you the money. Anything. Everything. As long as you trust me to do it. You do your part and I will do mine.'

Today the laughing robot no longer exists. The red light went out for good. Its plug was pulled forever. Its fear has been replaced with faith. It no longer lives in fear, no more sadness, no more despair, no more depression, and no more soulless black holes. Today the dream is being lived and nothing will stop it this time. Nothing.

Btw, the laughing robot was me, but not anymore.