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Times to Laugh
God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:6
Kids are a wellspring of humor if you look for it. For instance, there was the mother who was making phone calls in the family room while her three-year-old daughter and five-month-old son played together. Suddenly, the mother realized that the kids were gone. Panic-stricken, she raced down the hall and around the corner, where she found them playing cheerfully. Relieved but upset, she shouted, “Adrianne, you know you are not allowed to carry Nathan! He is too little—you could hurt him if he fell!”
Startled, Adrianne answered, “I didn’t, Mommy.” Knowing that Nathan couldn’t crawl, the mother demanded, “Well, then, how did he get all the way into your room?” Confident of her mother’s approval, Adrianne smiled and said proudly, “I rolled him!”
This story reminds us that when King Solomon began his quest to discover the meaning of life, he believed that laughter was “foolish” (Ecclesiastes 2:2). But when he investigated further, he realized that God orders all things according to His purposes—that there is “a season for every activity under heaven” (3:1), including “a time to laugh” (v. 4). On those days when your toddler rolls your youngest offspring down the hall, you may discover that the most godly response is not one of anger or disapproval. You’ve entered a new season—a time to laugh.
Before you say good night . . .
- Are you usually lighthearted or serious around your kids?
- Do you approach life with a sense of humor? If not, why?
Thank You, Lord, for those lighter moments along life’s road. Please don’t let us become so intense and tightly wound that we can’t let loose with a good, long laugh now and then at ourselves, our children, and our circumstances. Amen.
Excerpted from Night Light for Parents, used with permission.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. (Ps. 126:2-3, ESV)
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Prov. 17:22, ESV)
About this Plan
Sometimes, the “hustle and bustle” of our days, with their challenges, can have an impact on otherwise positive outlooks. We can feel discouraged, disappointed, or even downright cranky about the vicissitudes of life that we encounter. What can help at moments like these is a change of perspective, accomplished by such things as a focus on worship, laughter, or a renewed determination to persevere. Let’s look at a few illustrations.
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We would like to thank The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.drjamesdobson.org
