Chonda Pierce says comedy helped her find God’s faithfulness

Emmy-nominated comic Chonda Pierce may be finest generally known as the “Queen of Clean Comedy,” however her life hasn’t all the time been humorous; actually, it’s been marked by trials and tribulations she believes have honed her character and confirmed God’s faithfulness.

“It is interesting; if you research, a lot of comedians walk some dark roads, and that might be why we love to make people laugh,” the 64-year-old comic instructed The Christian Publish. 

“Hearing people laugh is just as much medicine for me as it is for anybody. I think early on in my career, my comedy was probably a lot of deflecting going on to try to mask some pain. What is amazing about God is, He created all the arts, and the devil’s job is to pervert them all. And in that deflecting or using comedy that’s cruel or hateful or filthy, that is Satan’s job. He loves to steal that.”

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“I love that God blessed me with a sense of humor and an ability to tell a story or two that makes a room laugh because I love it just as much as anybody else. I need the laughter as well. I love that I get to do that for a living, and wasn’t God so kind to direct my path that way, because that laughter has brought a lot of healing my way.”

For over three a long time, Pierce, who has offered extra comedy albums than another feminine comic, has constructed a profession on weaving humor into her storytelling, inviting audiences into her world with relatable anecdotes. However her newest e-book,Life Is Humorous Till It is Not: A Comedian’s Story of Love, Loss, and Lunacy, delves deeper than ever earlier than, addressing subjects like childhood trauma, her father or mother’s divorce, the lack of her two sisters and husband and abuse.

“I’ve told bits and pieces of my story for 32 years, I’ve revealed parts of grief from my husband’s death or the aftermath of that, and all of those stories are still true and I still hold on to them. … But there was so much in the in-between traumas … where I learned a lot. That’s where I learned who God is and how He will sustain you,” she stated.

She candidly shares how, as her comedy profession blossomed as a younger lady, trials continued to shadow her journey by way of marriage, motherhood and widowhood. But by way of each sorrow and each pleasure, God remained by her aspect.

“This is the reason I got into stand-up comedy to begin with,” she stated. “I wanted to tell my story. I felt like the Lord had really delivered me through some things that would be helpful to other people.”

Pierce additionally opens up about her early years as a pastor’s daughter and the way her earthly father impacted her view of God. When describing her father, she paints an image of an advanced determine; a person who, at occasions, was loving and attentive and different occasions, chilly and harsh. 

The comic shares how, through the years, she’s navigated the complexities of her father’s position and his darker aspect, discovering solace in her religion. “God revealed Himself to me many times, teaching me the difference between a Heavenly Father and an earthly father,” she defined. “This understanding saved my life. Otherwise, I would have self-destructed a long time ago.”

Regardless of her challenges, Pierce has maintained her religion, crafting her comedic materials in a approach that displays her beliefs. “Comedy is always the opening act, but I also turn the corner to share the stories behind it,” she says. “Jesus Himself used humor in His teachings, and I aim to show both the good and the bad so people can see God at work.”

“I’ll never get an HBO or Netflix special because I really talk a lot about Jesus,” she stated. “But when God directs your path, there’s a lot of peace. A whole lot of peace may not be as big a paycheck, but … it’s in telling the good and the bad and the ugly that you actually get to see the hand of God.”

Pierce can be on her Life is Humorous tour, the place she balances humor with heavier truths. 

“I wanted to tell my story to help people, but I didn’t want to dive into the sad parts outright,” she stated. “I start with comedy, then turn the corner to reveal reality.”

And already, the tour, which launched in March, has had a profound influence on her viewers, with many sharing how Pierce’s humor has helped them by way of darkish occasions. 

“I’ve had people say they were considering ending their life, but my stories pulled them back,” she recounted. “It’s moments like those that make all the sacrifices worth it.”

“There are always new stories to tell,” she added with a chuckle, “Like how I fell off my bathtub trying to get rid of bugs, despite having a Scripture above it saying ‘God is within her, she will not fall.'”

At present, Pierce additionally makes use of her platform to assist others on a sensible stage: In 2006, she based Branches Restoration Heart, which presents counseling and remedy to these with melancholy, anxiousness and habit.

Based mostly on her personal experiences with loss, trauma and melancholy, Pierce stated she “doesn’t trust anyone who doesn’t walk with a limp,” including: “When Jacob finally did fight and wrestle with God, God touched his hip. He said, ‘You will never forget that you wrestled with me,’ but he lived to tell about it. And he changed that mind of God.”

“I’m so grateful for what He’s brought me through. But I cut myself some slack every now and again and say, ‘OK, this is a trigger day. This would have been my anniversary … and in those moments, I say, ‘Oh Lord, why is [my husband] not here?’ And then you’ll strengthen yourself again, and God doesn’t strike you with lightning. He will talk you through your anger. The Bible says, ‘Be angry but sin not,’ and it also says, ‘Bring everything to me.’”

Whether or not by way of her books — although she stated Life is Humorous shall be her final — or comedy tour, Pierce stated her mission is to share tales that mirror God’s faithfulness and supply hope to these struggling. 

“I want people to see that there’s a woman who walked a rough road but never walked away from God,” she stated, “and to find hope and healing in His enduring faithfulness.”