Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark

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Audience Member I have always liked this comedian. I have seen her live, and she is phenomenal. I had been waiting for this "one night only" event for months. The weather delayed my trip back by one day, and delayed my departure time this morning to the point that I would not be home in time to see the film. I decided to stop at the halfway point of the trip and get some dinner and to see the movie because it was playing in a town nearby, and the weather was bad and so was the traffic, so I felt like it was a good idea to stop for a while, and maybe the storm would pass. I thought maybe I could just catch the film at a later time, but it was literally showing just one night at one time, and only in select theaters. I very much wanted to support Christian cinema, so it was very important to me to see it one way or another. I just felt like God had something to say to me today. I walked up to the ticket counter, ready to purchase my ticket, and when I asked if they were showing the film, the agent said they were sold out. My face fell, but she said that someone had purchased a couple of extra tickets to give away, so it was going to be free for me. Right then and there I knew I had made the right decision about coming to the film halfway through my trip, even though it would elongate my evening by a few hours. I knew the film would be about Chonda's struggle with depression and the death of her husband; what I did not know is how much it would affect me. I laughed, I cried, I heaved, I sobbed. Much of the film reminded me that I am still grieving the recent death of my father, as well as another relationship in my life that has been very difficult for me in the past year. At times, it was heartbreaking to sit through. At one point, the comedian said, "I don't have to like it, I just have to survive it." That hit home for me. Ultimately, Chonda wanted to make clear that we will all have trials and tribulations in our lives, and that we will all get through them, but we have to give ourselves a chance to breathe and work through the grief and pain in our own ways. She also wanted us to know that Jesus would be there every step of the way with us. She encouraged the audience to be enveloped by the Bible and God's word, and to let Him do the heavy lifting. This is something I have always known, but have had a difficult time embracing and following. I have been trying very hard in the past year to follow that. Many of you know that I get a daily Bible verse text on my phone, and I also have an app that gives me a daily verse. The film ends with John 16:33, which was also my daily verse that I read earlier from my app. I believe that absolutely none of this was a coincidence. As soon as I read it on the screen, I knew that I had already seen it today, and I took comfort in that fact. âI have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.â? As soon as the credits rolled, a woman came and sat down beside me, and put her arms around me, and said "I just wanted to give you a hug and tell you that I love you." I thanked her, and told her about having recently lost my father. We chatted a bit more, and she said her name was Michelle. At which I laughed, and said so is mine. She said she was taking care of her elderly mother, so she understood my pain and sorrow. She said she would pray for me at Christmas, because she knows how difficult it is going to be. I told her I would do the same for her. I left without getting any of her information, but I felt comforted by the kindness of a stranger yet again. Everything about the process of this afternoon/evening felt like it was meant to be. I went back to the ticket counter and asked if there was another showing of the film tonight, and they said there was, so I purchased a ticket and said to pass it on to the next person who came in, so that perhaps they could receive the same blessings that I did. Another final message of the movie was to repair your relationships, to tell people that you love them, and to cherish every moment of every day. I love you all. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Very funny, very emotional, very moving. I love Chonda Pierce, she is real! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark

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