Laughter

I love laughter! Have you ever really thought about it? I love it!!! I love the sound that children make when they are tickled. I love it when they laugh so hard that they can't stop or get the hiccups. I love it when people get so tickled about something that they cry or their whole body shakes. Just being around someone who is laughing makes you smile. You can walk into a room and if someone is laughing, I mean really laughing, you smile. It is contagious! You can't help it. The other day someone was telling a funny story and I got so tickled, I couldn't catch my breath and I love that. I enjoy that deep down gut wrenching laughter that brings tears to your eyes. I remember when my children were small it always seemed that when they were supposed to be quiet, like in church, something would get them tickled and the more they would try to not laugh, the more they would laugh. I would try to make them be quiet, but they would just giggle more and pretty soon, I would get tickled just listening to them. I used to love tickling them until their giggles would fill the house. Oh how I love that sound!

Several memories stick out in my mind that to this day still make me laugh. I will share one with you...

When Amber was little, it was raining outside, just as it is now, and Toby was playing with her and they had built a tent in the living room. I was sitting on the couch reading and listening to them. Toby had just stuck his hand out of the tent and said, "my goodness, it's raining outside". A few seconds later we heard this little 'poot' from Amber and Toby jerked his head up teasing and said "What was that?..." Amber said without missing a beat... "That was the thunder daddy." To this day that makes me smile. I'm sure you have several of your own memories that make you smile, or giggle.

God must have liked laughter because it is mentioned all through the Bible. Here are just a few...

"A merry heart does good, like medicine." Proverbs 17:22;
"A cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15;
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy." Psalm 126:2
"He will yet fill your mouth with laughing." Job 8:21

Laughter is a great gift and we should use it more often. Take time today and have a good laugh!