Thou Shalt Laugh

She also laughed at the love God showed. All of the times she cried for a child, all those times she saw others’ children and hurt inside. She laughed because God did not forget. God cared about her.

Not only are Abraham and Sarah laughing but now everyone around is laughing. Vs. 6. Have we noticed how when we see someone laughing we want to be let in on the joke? That was Sarah’s plan. She had gotten a surprise gift and wanted to share her joy.

So what?

The Gift of humor- what are the benefits of laughter?

1. Laughing helps us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Rash judgment a few Wednesday night ago. My humor is kind of dry but I enjoy seeing people laugh. Sometimes a few minutes later but I enjoy it.

Being able to laugh at yourself may be a sign of an optimistic personality and a sense of humor, according to a 2011 study, and it might even improve your mood. Humor has also been identified as a possible factor in personal resilience. "If you can laugh at yourself, you can forgive yourself," Susan Sparks, author of "Laugh Your Way To Grace," "And if you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others."

“Happy is the person who can laugh at himself. He will never be short on entertainment”

Take God seriously but don’t take ourselves so seriously.

2. Laughter helps us heal physically, psychologically and spiritually

Norman Cousins has documented how he participated in his own healing by laughing himself into health. When he was discovered to have a heart ailment he began taking massive amounts of Vitamin C and making himself laugh. Later he would be burdened by “reactive arthritis” and he applied to same treatment. He wrote about it in Anatomy of An Illness. Cousins said that he made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had a painkilling effect and would give him at least 2 hours of pain free sleep.

3. Laughter helps us maintain balance in a world that is overly serious and miserable

A. In her memoir, Growing Up Laughing: My Story, Marlo Thomas tells how when she was growing up, her father, Danny Thomas, would ask her, “Anything funny happen at school today?” Largely because of her father influence Marlo included laughter and fun into the very fabric of her life. My grandfather did something similar for me.

B. In a world as harsh as razor blades, as brutal as a sledgehammer, and as humorlessly vindictive as a cobra, should we not try does of laughing to offset all of this misery?

4. Laughter helps individuals and communities stay sane.

Mental Health Benefits: Adds joy and zest to life, Eases anxiety and fear, Relieves stress, Improves mood, Enhances resilience

Social Benefits: Strengthens relationships, Attracts others to us, Enhances teamwork, Helps defuse conflict, Promotes group bonding

Maya Angelou recalls that before the Civil War in the South, slaves had a practice of going to the “Laughing Barrel” to express themselves. Laughing was not allowed on many plantations, so when they couldn’t help themselves, they’d go to a barrel and lean way over, as if they were trying to retrieve something, and laugh themselves silly.