Hah hah ha!

Prov. 17: 22 A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones

Ha ha! Woy! Hol’ me. Woo! That’s funny! When was the last time you laughed? I don’t mean smiled, snickered, chuckled or giggled. I mean when did you last have a good belly-laugh; the kind that broke you up, hurt your throat, brought tears to your eyes and left you breathless? Yes, that kind of laugh! Oops! Forgot! I shouldn’t ask you that. You are a Christian, right? You’re supposed to be serious, sober, dignified and representing Christ. (Lol). Hey, get with the programme. If you don’t have a good belly-laugh every now and then, you are missing out on one of God’s best gifts to His children: the gift of laughter.

God wants us to be happy and there is nothing ungodly about laughter. It is the way God designs that we should show our happiness. But it’s more than that. Laughter, good humour, helps to destroy depression and make life more bearable. Psychologists tell us that when we are happy, when we share a good joke, eat something tasty, listen to a great piece of music or celebrate the achievements of a friend, the brain makes the body produce chemicals called endorphins which give this light-hearted feeling. It tends to push away the negative things in our lives and bring a sense of well-being. Endorphins also improve physical health (we’ll talk about that next quarter).

So, today, focus on those things that make you happy. Life is full of them! Instead of thinking about that exam that you didn’t do so well with; instead of moping about that “somebody” with whom you broke up, or the job you didn’t get, or the money that you need; think of happy things. Watch some little children playing, go take a swim at the beach, eat an East Indian mango (even if you have to spend a fortune for it), lie flat on your back in the grass and watch the clouds roll by, listen to some good music.

There are so many things to be happy about; and the best one for me is that God loves me sooo much! When I think of that, well... can you blame me if I can’t stop smiling?

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of laughter. Help me to make good use of it that I can have a healthy mind and body, in Jesus’ name, amen.