Life-Giving Laughter

Never-ending to-do lists. Thankless tasks. Disappointment. Frustration. Loss. Burnout.

Weariness. Utter weariness. Wave after wave of utter weariness.

In seasons of weariness, we can easily end up with a cloudy vision of reality. During those times, not even the good things seem good anymore, and we cannot seem to grasp hope or joy. We find ourselves losing sight not only of who we are but of who God is. What amazes me during such times is how our loving and gracious God who has promised never to leave us or forsake us can gently push back the clouds so we can be reminded of the beauty of who he is and the beauty of who he has made us to be. My recent reminder came through the gift of laughter, life-giving laughter that was created by the Life Giver himself to be medicine for our souls.

Oh, how true are the words of Proverbs 17:22, where we read, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Joy can be felt and expressed in different ways, but it is hard to trump the joy experienced when laughing hard in the company of friends. Weariness has no choice but to flee in the presence of such joy. I am forever thankful for friends who help me say goodbye to weariness by making me laugh – whether they know that is what they are doing or not.

What a gift God has given us in our laughter. He did not have to make us with such an ability, but by doing so, he gave us an antidote for our weariness. Let’s praise him as the Life Giver that he is. Let’s praise him for the life-giving laughter that he provides. Let’s find friends who make us laugh and take time to laugh at ourselves. The enemy would love nothing more than to dry up our bones with a crushed spirit. So let’s laugh, my friends. Let’s find joy in the midst of every season.