By Michelle Hines, Teacher, Faith Middle School and High School, Las Vegas
Do you like a good sense of humor, a good laugh, the feeling of joy? When I met my husband 31 years ago, one of the first things that caught my attention and made my heart leap was his crazy sense of humor and how he could make me laugh in almost any situation. On this side of heaven, we all suffer trials and tribulations, and at times we don’t feel joyful, happy, or like having a good laugh. Even in some of our most difficult times my husband has found ways to make me laugh and lift the heaviness. Many people think humor has no place in hard or challenging times, but I would argue that is when we need it the most!
Humor is an important catalyst for releasing God’s rejuvenating joy into our souls. Humor is God’s weapon against worry, anxiety, and fear. It’s a powerful salve for the skinned knees of the spirit…healing, revitalizing, protecting us against toxic infections like bitterness, defeat, or depression.
He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy (Job 8:21 NLT). Laughter is our lifeline when we’re sinking into the pit of rigidity, when we’re so absorbed in the stressful details of our lives that we’re missing the fun. The sun hasn’t disappeared just because it’s temporarily obscured by clouds.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11 NIV). Experiencing joy during our best times is no difficult feat; however, experiencing joy in the throes of hard times is something that many explain away as impossible, but it is truly possible with the Holy Spirit. He fills us with the joy of the Lord, and when you focus on that joy, commit to it, and welcome it, suddenly you will be overflowing with His warmth and love and hope. Watch for the Holy Spirit working in your life and allow the laughter to come, for God is sovereign and whatever happens to us is all part of His plan, for one day we will certainly be belly laughing in heaven right alongside our Savior!
AMEN!
Michelle Hines, Teacher, Faith Middle School and High School, Las Vegas
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