Laughter Helps

JOB 8:21 “He will fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy.”

Recently friends of ours have been going through a difficult time after a serious medical diagnosis. It feels very heavy and we are absolutely concerned for them. We were talking and texting and our friend sent a humorous image on a text. Despite the serious nature of our discussion, we started laughing. Both our friend and his wife said they had to laugh and look for positives.

Laughter is so good for us. It decreases stress hormones while increasing the “feel-good” hormones. Laughter is seen as a positive coping mechanism. The Mayo clinic says that laughter can even decrease blood pressure and help to regulate heart rhythms. I felt anxiety lessen as I laughed with a sense of relief. I am not suggesting denying serious feelings; there will be times in life that laughter will not feel right.

Suffering and loss are the words that come to my mind when thinking of the book of Job. And yet Job 8:21 speaks of laughter and joy. This suggests to me that even during difficulty, God provides hope for future joy. There can be moments of laughter and light in the midst of dark. Perhaps it is for us to find or provide those moments.