Verse of the Day - Job 8:21

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." ~ Job 8:21 (NIV)

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There are those who are pretty even-keeled in their personality. Nothing ruffles their feathers, not many highs and lows, very stable...like a rock. And then there are folks like me, wearing my heart on my sleeve -- you know when I'm not happy, because it's written all over my face. And when something makes me laugh, everybody knows it, because I laugh OUT LOUD! I can turn heads in a restaurant because I'm laughing so loud! (fortunately, I've never been kicked out of an establishment for disturbing the peace...but I suppose that day could come. :-)

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
~ Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

Laughter is good medicine! I've always said that if I ever was struck with a serious illness, I would make sure I got my daily dose of "I Love Lucy", because she makes me laugh! And a heart that is cheered is lighter, less weighed down by the worries and sorrows of this sin-sick world. Does it mean that you don't care about serious concerns when you take a laugh break? Of course not! But like the saying goes, "If I didn't laugh, I'd cry." We need to let out our emotions -- laughter is a joyous release of emotion, and God has given it to all people -- it's a universal language!

And laughter doesn't just show up when you watch a comedy on TV or listen to a joke. This past weekend, I watched a young golden retriever on the beach. I walked past his wet, sandy tennis ball, but Charlie was more interested in me. I said, "Get your ball...", but for some reason, he couldn't sniff it out. So I went to pick it up, and then he was onto it! But instead of picking it up with his teeth, he began to paw at it, driving it deeper and deeper into the sand. He just didn't get the fact that, in his excitement, he wasn't helping. It was funny, and I laughed! Charlie's owner came up, and we laughed together! It was a fun moment, and as I continued on down the beach, my heart was light.

See, sometimes, we just miss the pure humor of the little things in life. And when life is hard, often nothing is funny. We get sucked into the vortex of sadness and misery, and not even "I Love Lucy's" Vitametavegamin sketch could make us smile, let alone laugh. I know, because I've been there. But God tells us in Job 8:21 that we will not always sit in the ash heap of despair and depression. Joy will return, by His grace and mercy...

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance...
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 (NIV)

Look for God's humor in your day -- it's out there, so keep your eyes open. It may be a puppy, with their excitement and awkwardness, or maybe a child playing a silly game. Maybe you make yourself laugh when you find a sock in the sleeve of your sweater in the middle of a business meeting. Now that's funny! I hope you can laugh today and every day...often and out loud. Let your heart be light -- it's good for you!

Love,
Joelene