Why is it that the more busy and more stressed I get, the less I laugh?

Why doesn't my body understand how essential laughter is for the soul?

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

I'm grateful to have two precious kiddos that keep me laughing, even when my busy body tells me I don't have time for it. God blesses us with what we need -- and boy do I need those kids. In fact, I have another blog dedicated solely to the crazy things they say and do -- the things that make me laugh on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I'm not at all consistent in adding to the blog.

My sweet son...one of the things he does consistently to make me laugh is put his hat on backwards. I know that sounds very trivial, but it's the WAY he does it that's comical. We put his hat on forwards...instantly, he pops it off and turns it around. No matter how many times we put it on, he immediate reverses it. No matter what. He used to do it with sunglasses, too -- he'd flip them upside down immediately after we put them on his face. He's outgrown that one.

My precious daughter...when we visited the ocean last week, she basked in the sun and the sand. She loved every moment of it, even declaring it, "The best day ever." The amount of sand in places that sand should NEVER be made me laugh. (Perhaps it shouldn't have...but it did.)



The creativity of the kids...they discovered that the handle makes a pretty good steering wheel, and one's legs a pretty good motor. A Flinstonesque car if I ever saw one!



And animals...man, if we had the time, we'd have an animal. The sheer joy and laughter heard ringing with a puppy around is pure bliss.



As it says in Ecclesiastes 3, there's a time for everthing under heaven -- including a time to laugh.

Dear Lord, please remind me of the importance of laughter, not only in my life, but in the life of my children. Thank you for the spirit of joy and laughter you've given me -- help me remember to keep it alive.