Day 38 - laughter

Ive just had a text from a friend which made me laugh out loud.   Not because she said anything particularly funny, but just because of the timing and the context and the fact that she knows me well.   Yesterday several people posted ridiculous things on Facebook which also made me laugh.  Laughter is good.  Healing somehow.  Last week Josh got a fit of the giggles and couldnt stop and that made me get the giggles too.  The pair of us were sitting with tears running down our faces not really knowing what we were laughing about.  It was just really really funny.

A few years ago I remember one of the boys asking me why I never smiled.   There was a period of a couple of years when I genuinely dont think I ever laughed.  Life was weighing me down - I now realise I was suffering from depression - and there was just nothing to smile about.  I felt as though I was under a thick cloud all the time.  I couldnt remember what the sun looked or felt like.    But gradually, thanks to medication and some ' friend therapy' I began to be able to see the funny side again.

Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

God has designed us to laugh because He is a laughing God.   He laughs at His enemies - ( Ive always thought that this laugh is a sort of derisory snort - a sarcastic smile.  But actually I wonder if it is not more that He actually finds the very notion of anyone being His ' enemy' hilarious)   Psalm 16;11 says that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy .  This can only be because God Himself is JOY.  He laughs and giggles alot and has an awesome sense of humour.  When you get to know Him well, you start to hear His jokes all the time.  He is really good at word play.  He also loves visual humour.  Just ask Him to show you how funny He is.  Seriously.  You will have a smile on your face all day.


Looking through Google images in an attempt to find some though provoking pictures to go with this terribly serious subject I found this.  Which just made me roar  

and that got me searching for more.  And before you know it Im laughing my head off and everyone is wondering what Im up to.   The moral of the story is - it's good to laugh.  If you havent laughed for a while, make a conscious effort to find something which will cheer you up.  Watch some of the daft things your friends post on social media.  Get your kids to tell you their favourite joke. Go out for coffee with your favourite funny friend.  Life can be so serious at times but we all benefit hugely from having a laugh.  May God richly bless you with all the humour of heaven today xx