Laugh

Laugh

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

MY FRIEND SANDY has the most infectious laugh I’ve ever heard. It’s unmistakable. Unforgettable. It’s the kind of laugh that, when you hear it loud and clear from across the room, it automatically brings a smile to your own face. Somehow it makes you feel like you’re in on the joke too.

There’s power in laughter. It relaxes your body, decreases stress hormones, increases infection-fighting antibodies, triggers the release of feel-good endorphins, increases blood flow (good for the heart), and may even help you live longer—one Norwegian study found that individuals with a strong sense of humor outlived those who didn’t laugh as much.

I met Sandy a few years ago through a women’s ministry organization. The more I’ve gotten to know her, the more I appreciate and value her laugh. Her ability to laugh isn’t because her life has been easy but because she continues to trust God. Three of her five children have had learning challenges, including autism, attention deficit disorder, a reading disability, epilepsy, and depression. Early on, she and her husband were told that one of their children might never speak. One of their children is currently estranged from the family. And Sandy herself has struggled at times with mental health challenges. Yet she is authentically joyful—in all circumstances.

Recently, her husband died unexpectedly. A post I saw on social media the other day immediately brought a smile to my face: Sandy and her granddaughter, eating apples and peanut butter on the porch. Live life while you mourn a life, part of her caption read. Sandy told me once that laughter in the midst of storms is good for others’ souls too. Sandy is able to smile, and laugh, and have joy because she continues to trust God. He’s strong enough to carry her in every circumstance. The child they were told might never speak? He’s now a college graduate with a family of his own. The challenges we face reveal who we are and what we truly believe about God. Sandy trusts God and, because of it, she’s able to laugh.

Lord, thank you for the gift of laughter. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Watch or read something that makes you laugh.