Laughter

Laughter

Often, when I was a kid, our family ate supper together. We brothers would usually tell some dumb jokes or wear some weird outfit and mom would get us all laughing with her uncontrollable giggling. Her laugh was insatiable, it would entice us to keep it coming, not to just put off doing the dishes but because the laughter seemed to clean out some of the toxic world.

Will there be laughter in Heaven? If so what will it be like? Of course there is that uncomfortable, awkward laughter we are sometimes forced into. But it seems that most laughter should come from something which is actually funny. Will it be self- deprecating? This hardly seems as if it would be part of Heaven's humor. Maybe pointing out something peculiar or idiosyncratic would lift our spirits. But wouldn't idiosyncrasies be classified as gifts in Heaven...not something goofy at all? There must be some types of jokes Jesus would tell. Do you think His sense of humor would be dry or roll back and howl funny? Surely there is laughter in Heaven. 

Our world is full of hurting, lonely and sick friends. There are uncomfortable decisions being created and acted upon within our society. We see too many odd situations developing within our political realm. The suffering we see around the world is epidemic. All this makes our hearts heavy...oh for a little laughter.

Kent, my buddy who passed away earlier this year, was a great joke teller not because of the jokes he told but because of how he told the joke. I can see him walking past Jesus on some golden side street, their eyes meet and Kent gives Jesus the "up nod"... " knock knock", and without flinching, Jesus, in all His omniscience, flashes a quick smile..."who's there." Neither of them would make it past the "who's there" because Kent would be in hysterics and although Jesus would already know the punch line His laughter would also be hysterical as he watched His created laughter be so perfectly exhibited through Kent.

Sure, in Heaven there will be everlasting joy. But what about here, what about now? Is laughter necessary? Although sometimes it's hard to come by I do believe it is important. There are healing qualities for the struggles we encounter keeping us healthy and capable for the work God has given.

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine,

 but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

The more we let the bones dry the more susceptible we become to the taunts and testings of the evil ones. Don't give in. LOL