Laugh

Life can move so quickly
And time is a precious gift
Choose wisely how you spend it
There is no rewind button on life

Learn to laugh at life
And at yourself
Life is too short to be so serious
So embrace the joy of the Lord

Laughter is a great gift that we can give to ourselves and others around us. Laughter can be so contagious. Have you ever heard a child giggling in a store or at a restaurant and you feel yourself start to smile? Usually you just can’t help yourself. The joy of that child just seeps into you and a smile creeps on to your face.

Sometimes I wonder what people think when they look over at me when I am driving. I can’t even count the number of times that I crack myself up with some silly thought or as a result of talking out loud to myself. If someone were to bug my car or put a video camera in there, I suppose that people would think I was crazy. It can be the smallest or silliest thing that just causes laughter to come out. Or maybe something on the radio prompts a thought that gets me giggling. It just seems that I spend a lot of my driving time in laughter.  Even more so lately, now that we can’t talk on our cell phones while driving.

One recent morning I showed up to the gym and was waiting to meet with my trainer. A guy walked up to the counter to talk to the gym employee. He points to me and says, “I don’t know that girl but I know her smile. Every time she shows up here, she has the biggest, most beautiful smile.” To which the gym employee responds, “Yep, she’s the girl that smiles a lot.” I was rather surprised but encouraged by this reference. After all, it’s 5am when I show up at the gym. Smiling and being cheerful is not necessarily a “normal” response at that time of day.

In Nehemiah 8:10 we read that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” I have experienced this to be so completely true in my life. His joy gives us strength to face the days that seem so dark. The days when we aren’t sure which way is up because life has become so chaotic. Even the days when the tears don’t seem to want to stop.

When I am struggling with something, joy does not come naturally. Joy is a choice that we can make. I can choose to find a blessing in my day. I can choose to laugh about the dumb thing I just said without meaning to. I can laugh when I do something embarrassing. I can laugh when my day just isn’t going quite right. I’ve had some days recently where the laughter doesn’t come quite as easily. I’ve really had to choose to walk in the joy that God is giving to me. And then without warning, something sets me off (usually in the car) and I’ll just start giggling like a little school girl. And I find a lightness to my heart. A peace flows over me.

Laughter is good for the soul.

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