A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Courage is the face of love when it invites the other person into growth and freedom – which, for a Christian, means that you are learning to actively trust God in place where old fears and insecurities have controlled you.
I have a friend who knows how to make me laugh. I’m not talking about the kind of laugh that’s little more than a smirk on the edge of a smile. No indeed. I mean laugh until my sides hurt kind of laugh. The type of laugh that makes you feel better inside about, well, everything. It’s the same kind of laugh small children engage in all throughout the day and which most adults stop doing when they reach adulthood. The kind of comic feeling that when you experience it, you wish there were more reasons to laugh full and free each and every day.
Friends who make us laugh
There is and are more reasons to laugh full and free every day. Each of needs a friend (or two) that have the unique ability to make us (and others) and themselves laugh hard and long. It may be the kind of quirky way they view all of life and how they look at problems in particular. Or it may be that God just designed these funny folks with a higher caliber of honing into all that makes life merry. Who really knows? What I do understand and appreciate is this: my friends who can make me laugh lighten my load considerably and I leave them feeling better about my life and wanting to pass on the same contagious sense of joyous happiness that they sparked in me.
Friends we can make laugh
Back to my friend. I’d love for you to meet her. She has the sunniest disposition. Her face seems lit up with happiness from deep within and it shows. People don’t even need to hear my friend speak…her very presence is uplifting and encouraging. That’s not to say she hasn’t endured her share of difficult times and long seasons of suffering…she has. But my friend hasn’t allowed these hard times to dim that inner light of Jesus’ love for life in general and people in particular. Remember that old children’s song, “This little light of mine?” That describes my friend perfectly. She lets it shine. Lets it shine. Lets it shine.
We can learn to see life as a child
I hope you have a friend (or two) can makes you laugh when all you want to do is cry. I hope that God has blessed you with a friend (or two) that has a sunny disposition that is so contagious that you are uplifted by just being in her presence. Maybe you are that friend to others. Perhaps God has blessed you with an innate ability to see life from a sunny-side up perspective and there is nothing you enjoy more than helping others view life from the same vantage point.
But for those who don’t have friends who can make them laugh, be not dismayed. There are ways to find reasons for smiling, for laughing, for finding the funnies everywhere you look. No, I’m not talking about laughing at others’ quirky habits or honing a witty sarcastic comeback. Neither of those conversational practices that make fun of others is right. Rather, I’m thinking of learning how to lighten up and laugh at ourselves more often. Instead of automatically feeling frustrated or embarrassed when we make a mistake or fumble at something…why not learn to smile the situation away and thank the Lord it wasn’t worse.
Let’s reframe the tough stuff
How about laughing more often at the often-ironic turns of life? When we get caught in traffic instead of allowing our anxiety levels to rule the moment…why not prepare ahead of time for such events by having some clean comedy cds ready to pop in while we wait. Why not? Are we afraid to let loose and experience the freedom of laughter? Do we somehow believe that Christians don’t laugh? Jesus laughed and he is God!
Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more
Laughter is not only good for our soul…it has excellent health benefits as well. If you don’t believe me, Google the bonuses of laughing more every day and you’ll be surprised. Rather than confining your conversation to the serious only topics of the day become an expert at spotting the hilarious among the mundane. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for your friends. Learn and relearn to love laughter.
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