Laughter.
I love the idea behind this simple topic. Laughter. The act of finding joy that bubbles inside you until it escapes for the world to see your pleasure. It is a sign of pure and moving emotion.
In Ecclesiastes 3, God reminds us that there is a season for laughter.
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
It's a verse that is probably familiar to all of us. There is a time for all things. The good and the bad. After all, if we don't have bad, how do we know when it's good? Without each other, it's not possible to define or understand either. They require knowledge to know they exist.
I've grappled with the idea of bad things happening to good people a lot lately. Why does this happen? Why is faith challenged? Why does laughter seem to come to others so easily when people who work hard and are faithful are filled with trials.
It's not fair, but it's in this basic challenge that it's answered. Your faith will be tested. Bad things will happen. There will be mountains upon which you'll climb, fall, stumble, get lost, go forward, grow, and eventually conquer only to find that you're in the middle of the range.
BUT God is good. He is walking beside us, encouraging, teaching, guiding. He teaches us that there is a time for all purposes. There is a time to grieve. There is a time to release. There is a time to surrender. There is a time for laughter.
It's through the choice. To choose God. To choose faith. To choose life.
It's worth it.
Hoping you find much today that brings you laughter --
There is a time for everything. Our lives are filled with so much, aren't they?! It's a comfort to know that Jesus walks with us and is only a prayer away. I love the verses you included. They're beautiful and remind us that life is full.
ReplyDeleteSo nicely said. There is a time for every season. Laughter and joy when we choose to be present in life.
ReplyDeleteOh I love that scripture passage! Thank you for sharing it! And you've written my new favorite definition of laughter, "...act of finding joy that bubbles inside you until it escapes for the world to see your pleasure." This is perfect!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a comforting thought for the morning: He is walking beside us, encouraging, teaching, guiding. I shall take this and remember to call on the Lord today as I walk the walk.
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