You don’t have to know Chonda Pierce for long to believe that humor is wired into her DNA.
Like the night the film about her life, Laughing in the Dark, premiered in theaters. Chonda asked her son to accompany her. Halfway through the movie, she leaned over and chuckled into her son’s ear, “This is the saddest movie I have ever seen.”
Humor has carried Chonda through a lot of heartache:
Her suicidal father, who stood in the pulpit every Sunday but touched her inappropriately at home.
Her mother, who tried to explain it all away.
Her little sister, Cheralyn, who came home from high school one day with a sore throat. She thought it was just a flu bug. The doctors ran tests and found leukemia. Cheralyn died 21 days later.
Her husband, who after years of not seeing or hearing from their estranged daughter, spiraled into alcohol addiction, his health rapidly declined, and he suffered a stroke and died while on a walk through the woods on their property. He was 53.
Authenticity has carried Chonda through a lot of heartache, too. Her humor comes from her brokenness and her humanity. Her genuineness has been a hallmark of her public ministry as a comedian. She has people wiping away tears from sorrow and from laughter.
Ultimately, God’s grace has carried Chonda through heartache. We’re all up against battles that are unwinnable without God’s grace.
We all need some humor, some authenticity, and some grace, and Chonda will lead the way toward all three of those over our next couple of radio programs. She’ll be our guest on “Sharing God’s Gift of Laughter Through Life’s Tragedies.”
Chonda is humorous. She’s authentic about her pain. And she understands how God’s grace carries people through the trials of life.
You can find the Focus on the Family broadcast on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app. You can also find Chonda’s DVD Laughing in the Dark and other helpful resources in our online bookstore.
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Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
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