A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Maybe you’ve seen it.  Ridiculousness. Maybe not. I wouldn’t have it if I didn’t have a son  that loves the show.  It’s a more grown-up version of America’s Funniest Videos and it makes us laugh. Good, deep, belly laughs. Utter ridiculousness and utterly hilarious.  Good medicine.

Doctors have found that laughter helps blood flow, may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, may lower blood sugar levels and aids with relaxation and sleep according to R. Morgan Griffin on WebMD.

“Laughter is poison to fear.”   according to George R.R. Martin

According to Diane, laughter warms the heart, chases away the blues, builds camaraderie with laughing partners and seems to help the burdens of the day roll away. A small part of why I like working with kids is that laughter springs up so quickly from within them and spills out to others. What joy there is in a child’s laughter.

It must fill our Father’s heart with joy when He sees and hears our laughter.  I think He intended for us to laugh, ever watch monkeys and puppies and kittens and baby goats play?  How could we not laugh watching them? If laughter is poison to fear then we should laugh more.  Let fear die and laughter live on. When our spirit feels crushed perhaps it is time to change the channel and find reason to laugh. Goodness knows there is enough going on in our world right now to crush a spirit. Laughing won’t make it go away but it may provide us with a much needed break. 

Ridiculousness helps me laugh and I am grateful for that.  Do you have a favorite show that causes you to laugh?

You Father created laughter to spring up from the bottom of our hearts to overflow into a world that is full of fear and pain and confusion. Thank You for the gift of laughter and the medicine it brings to my soul and my body. Thank You for the children You have put in my life, mine and those of others I take care of, for the laughter they bring into my world, for teaching me about laughter through them. Help me to remember when pain is mounting that relief may only be a laugh away. I love You. Thank You for the joy You have brought into my life. In the name of Your joy filled Son, I pray, amen.