Monday, May 9, 2016

Laugh Until...


“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with Joy.”
Psalm 126:2-3

Laugh until… you cry, snort, wet your pants, your face hurts, your stomach aches, soda or milk comes out of your nose. There is nothing like a good fall out of your chair, roll on the floor until you are out of breath laugh. Somehow that makes us feel better even when things aren’t going so good. As I read about laughing in scripture I realized there are lots of different kinds of laughs. Some laughs are the result of a “Are you kidding me?” experience. Some laughs are preventative in nature keeping us from completely blowing our cool or bursting into tears. There are good laughs and not so good laughs. 

This week’s passage is definitely a good laugh. Psalm 126 is a song of rejoicing that celebrates the captives – those who had survived the Babylonian exile - returning and all the people looking forward to the Lord’s renewed blessings on his people. In other places in Scripture we can read about God laughing and it’s not necessarily a good laugh (see Psalm 37:13 niv). Usually when we read about God laughing it’s a “wait for it, you won’t be laughing when I’m done with you laugh.” I don’t know about you but I hope I never find myself on the other side one of those laughs. 

I can’t help but think He has those hearty good for the soul laughs over us – sometime perhaps laughing at us, but most times laughing with us as the joy that He gives us in every season overflows from our hearts.  

I don’t know what you are facing right now in your life. My life is a mixed bag – kind of comes with the territory of what I do and that’s ok. What I do know is that laughing makes me feel better no matter what. I pray that you have people around that crack you up.   

This week worship the giver of joy and laughter. Laugh until… - you fill in the blank.  

A Prayer
Father – Thank you for laughter. Thank you for the people in our lives who make us laugh until we cry, snort, or wet our pants. Thank you for situations that allow us to laugh so hard our faces hurt, our stomachs ache and whatever we are drinking comes out of our noses. Thank you for laughing at us as we try to walk in the steps of your leading. But most of all thank you for laughing with us when the joy you fill our lives with overflows. Help us to bring laughter to the lives of those around us, especially those who think they have no reason to laugh. In the name of Jesus, we pray – Amen.

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