Laughter

Laughter

Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. –Psalm 30:5

TO: David Guthrie

RE: typo

DATE: Thu, 24 June 1999, 08:19:08

I took a peek at our girl on the Web site tonight. What a beautiful daughter we had! Imagine that! And I found a typo. Goodness is spelled goodnes. Just a little short on the s’s. I love you, dear husband.

NANCY

Thank, honey, i didn’t even notice. Gues i wan’t paying attention. I’ll fix it a oon a i can!

DG

David makes me laugh. He always has. There have been times I’ve been mad that he made me laugh—like the day Gabe died. I can’t remember now what he said. I just remember bending over the bed saying, “How dare you make me laugh today?!” Laughter seems off-limits or certainly inappropriate in some situations, on some days. I remember being afraid that some people might think I was either in complete denial, or worse, that I didn’t really care about Hope if I laughed out loud during her life or following her death.

Sometimes we are afraid to laugh lest people think our pain has passed or that our sorrow has been a sham. But just as tears give vent to the deep sorrow we feel inside, laughter is evidence of the deep joy that abides, even in the midst of sorrow, when our hope is in Christ. Mysterious and amazing joy that has nothing to do with denial is part of what it means to grieve differently from those who have no hope. Laughter reveals that while grief may have a grip on us, it has not choked the life out of us. Laughter takes some of the sting out of hurt. It gives us perspective and relieves the pressure. In fact, laughter helps control pain, not just emotionally but physically. It increases the production of endorphins, our bodies’ naturally produced painkiller. It gives us a mini-vacation from our pain. And don’t you sometimes feel as if you would like to take a day off from your sorrow? Won’t you give yourself permission to laugh a little and enjoy some relief from the pain?

Spirit of joy, I can’t generate the kind of joy that will bubble up into holy laughter. Only you can give me that joy. Will you give it to me now? Will you fill me with your joy so the world will see that my hope is in you?

DIGGING DEEPER