"Laugh"

They say that simply laughing,

Can be a healing force,

And no, I cannot prove it,

But the Bible is its source.

It talks about a cheerful heart,

And says it’s good for you,

In fact it’s called good medicine,

For what you’re going through.

I’ve seen a smile do wonders,

A chuckle blessing bring,

A laugh-out-loud a party,

It just beat everything.

So maybe when you’re bummed out,

And feeling really low,

Remember something funny,

Or happy that you know.

And shift to something better,

Flip over that old frown,

Ask the Lord to help you,

To turn it upside down.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength…” (Proverbs 17:22, NLT)

Someone has said we turn out to be about as happy as we choose to be. I’m not sure how true that is, but I do believe what we choose about our attitude, mood, and response to life makes a huge difference in the way things go. Paul said he had learned to be content in every circumstance. When you stop to think about it, that’s a powerful testimony, especially since he wrote those words from a jail cell. He learned it. How? By going through difficulty and making the best of it, by God’s grace. There’s always something to celebrate and be thankful for. There is frequently even something funny in the most tragic circumstance. I would never trivialize the heartbreak some of us feel, maybe even right now. But I do believe that people who know God and depend upon Him should be the most positive people on earth. Sometimes life is all uphill, and it takes awhile to get your laughter back. But it’s a good thing when we do. Laugh, if you can, today.

Lord, restore to us the joy of our salvation, and help us laugh again, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jack Sorenson, jacksorensonfineart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Jack, and God bless you.