There’s something about laughter that just can’t be explained, really. It has a way of lifting the heart, of taking the thoughts off of the difficulties at hand, it changes the perspective, and lets us get a little glimpse of the fun side of life, and that is a side that none of us should overlook.
We can’t get so caught up in life that we forget to find the joy and beauty. We can’t focus so much on the pain, that we don’t realize the joy and loose sight of the fact that life, no matter where we are or what we might be dealing with, comes packaged with a lot of moments worth remembering- moments that wouldn’t be what they could be if we didn’t take the time to laugh.
A little more than a year ago, I found myself once again in the middle of packing all my earthly possessions into boxes (and it is amazing how earthly possessions seem to increase when you try to pack them.) and preparing with my family for yet another move. Time was running out, we had too much to do, besides packing, in preparing my sister to go for a year to the Philippines as a teacher, and for mom and I to be in Montana a little more than a week after we moved for a wedding, and we were exhausted, feeling worn to nothing, sick and weary of the never ending boxes that crowded in on us from every side.
It really seemed like we’d never get done, and time kept slipping by as we raced to finish everything before our deadline.
It was just a few days before we had to be finished, and as we were packing, things began to go wrong.
I discovered that mice had infested the boxes in which I had my stash of fabric and were using it as some sort of an outhouse. Every single piece had to be washed, and on top of that Haunta Virus had just ‘broken’ out in our town, and being in that mice infested shed wasn’t such a good idea. A box of books had somehow gotten water-logged, and things just kept going missing amongst the boxes. Gramma needed help, and it seemed like we did more rushing back and forth than we did accomplishing what we needed.
At the height of our tiredness and in the moment of great pressure to be done, we were trying to pack the living room. Somehow I stumbled into a stack of boxes and sent them flying. One of the boxes flew open, sending oats all over the place. Mom tripped and fell into a box. It was one of those days, and that is when we lost it. I sat on the couch, and we laughed until we could not move. It was the best thing we could have done, for it somehow lifted us up above the moment of difficulty, above our exhaustion, above the frustrations, and helped us to catch a glimpse of what we were missing- the ability to find little joys no matter where we are or what we are doing.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Prov 15:13
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine Prov 17:22
Laughter. A “merry heart” and a cheerful face. It’s God’s medicine. It keeps our perspective straight, and our hearts happy. God meant for us to learn to look for joy, to look for happiness. Life might not always be fun, and laughter might be a choice sometimes, but it is worth laughing, worth finding happy moments, worth keeping a smile on your face. It isn’t always obvious, but it’s those unexpected ones that are often the best, and what memory isn’t made better by taking the time to laugh?
And, perhaps I’m biased, but everything is better when we can laugh about it.
This week, take time to laugh, to smile, and to record what God has done, and how He has put joy into your life and heart, and share that with someone else.
Truly inspiring! Thank you for sharing your story. It reminds me of Christy when Miss Alice said “Laughter is God’s music.”
This is so true.