Here I Am, Lord: Devotions from Time of GraceBeispiel

I Love Laughing With Friends Lord, have I thanked you lately for my friends? How you have blessed me with the circle of people who keep me sane. Honestly, I think I would go crazy if I didn’t have people to bounce ideas off of, talk me off the ledge, point out my foolishness, encourage me when I’m right but too timid, make me feel like I belong, help me out in a pinch, explain things to me, give me advice, and generally magnify my good times into great times. As I think about the dear people you have brought into my life, I get what the psalm writer was talking about when he expressed his joys not just by himself but with people he loved: “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:2). Lord, you designed laughter as an amazingly healing human activity. My friends help me lighten up and not take myself so seriously. They give me perspective on my struggles, they share things they’ve learned, and they help me when I am in trouble. I don’t want to be just a taker. How can I show people how much they mean to me? Please let me give as much of a lift to other people as they give to me. How can I show you how much I appreciate the gift of loving people in my life?