When we moved, we needed a computer to continue our work from our new home. The appropriate material had been downloaded from the church network to a portable hard drive with sufficient mega-bytes to save the national economy. We plugged the system together with miles of wires and multi-pronged adapters and were off and running!
But then, reality visited! When I tried logging on my trusty Bible program, it had evaporated into the digital communication netherworld. Inserting the program disks was futile. If error messages were oil, we would have singlehandedly dropped the price of gasoline to pre-Korean War levels. I became stressed! It wasn’t funny! I don’t even know where my paper concordance is!
And, then I began remembering –
• We recently had dinner with our son’s family. Miriam had recently been hospitalized and we had been alarmed at the first reports. Now, the prognosis is pretty good. Smiles have replaced furrowed brows.
• Our youngest grandchild, Lila, age 20 months, insisted that she speak with “Papa.” Her Mom called, Lila and I chatted, and I laughed!
• More than 40 years ago I laid awake wondering how I would make a payment on a second hand car, save enough for the kid’s education, and raise enough money for ministries entrusted to us. This morning I am grinning ear-to-ear because our nine year-old Swedish Ford is humming along with no payment due, our children have all graduated with at least one college degree, and several mortgage burnings are behind us.
It is good to remember, Isaac means “Laughter.” Out of Sarah’s sorrowful withered womb came laughter! Goliath’s growling blasphemies provoked hand-wringing dirges of doubt throughout Saul’s troops, but laughter and singing filled the day when one stone felled the giant.
The Israelis gathered to worship and sing, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,’The LORD has done great things for them.’” (Psalm 126:2)
Consider joining me in laughter today! Stresses, we have a few. But we, the people acquainted with the One who delivers, gives birth, and was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities ... and by whose stripes we are healed. We ought to lead the world in laughter!
Oh yes, sing happy songs in worship Sunday!
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