He Laughed!
For most of my life, I have enjoyed a close walk with God, but lately, I've been distracted by many things, politics being one of those. Facebook and other social media platforms can drag me into spending way more time than I had originally planned. I call it the Facebook vortex.
I am unfortunate in that two of my personality traits are at odds with each other. Maybe that’s good because they help me to stay balanced. One trait is that I tend to want to argue with people when I think they’re wrong. My opposing trait is that I’m a people pleaser. I want people to love me while I try to “set them straight” and convince them that they're wrong. Rarely, if ever, does that happen.
I read a political post on Facebook a few days ago that deeply disturbed me. It was an outright lie! Normally I can dismiss these posts, but this came from someone I respect; someone who normally shares my views on almost everything. I so badly wanted to argue and let them know how wrong they were. But I value my relationship with this person so much that I struggled with what I should do. In moments like that generally, the best thing to do is say nothing. Or in this case, write nothing. It's difficult to take it back.
In normal times, having a disagreement with a loved one would be safe. These are not normal times. I’ve never seen such a volatile political scene. It seems as if both sides see the others as evil. And if not evil then they’re seen as idiots. In this crazy scenario, it’s very likely that my words would cause a rift in our relationship. A rift that might never fully heal. This relationship is too precious to risk that.
I paced the floor and prayed about what I should do and what I should say, then out of the blue, I sensed God laughing at me! Not a laugh of derision at all. Instead, it was the kind of laughter a loving, patient parent would give to their worried little toddler. It was a calming, sweet laughter that let me know I was fretting about something that was terribly small in the whole scheme of things.
And He invited me to laugh with Him.
Recently I read something fascinating about the science of laughter:
Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you release anger and forgive sooner.
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. -helpguide.org
Even a smile can have a powerful effect on our brains. I recently read about a study where two groups were asked to complete certain tasks. One group was told to smile while they worked, whether they felt like smiling or not. The smiling group completed the tasks faster and better.
“Smiling activates tiny molecules in your brain that are designed to fend off stress. These molecules, called neuropeptides, facilitate communication between neurons in your brain. Also, when you smile, your brain releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are associated with lowering your anxiety and increasing feelings of happiness. In fact, serotonin is often the chemical that anti-depressant medications attempt to regulate. This natural, feel-good chemical cocktail that your brain serves up helps you feel happier and more relaxed, and it can even lower your heart rate and blood pressure."
https://www.verywellmind.com/mark-stibich-4781224
Even a fake smile can change the way you think and feel and eventually trigger all those positive neurotransmitters mentioned above.
God gave us the gift of smiling and laughter. He is the One that designed our bodies and our brains to respond the way they do. God’s Word declares that “A cheerful heart is good medicine,” (Proverbs 17:22)
Laughing shouldn’t be a Pollyanna response to life. Neither should it be a stick-your-head-in-the-sand response. It should be a response of delightful freedom that comes when we see things in their proper perspective. God is still on the throne. He rules and we are His children if we’ve said yes to His provision through Jesus. (For more about that, see my blog from October 5th.) We live and operate in this world, under this political system but ultimately we are part of the Kingdom of God. And that Kingdom is the one that will reign in the end and for eternity.
So exercise this healing gift and share it with others. It can bring healing to our minds. It can bring healing to our bodies. And it can bring healing to our relationships.
