Last night my family sat down to dinner together. We started sharing stories of our day.  It was one of those good times at dinner.  We can be loud and, well, fairly weird.  At one point it got so loud my wife made the kids raise their hands to tell a story or joke.  She was going around the table pointing at each kid in turn.  I had an idea for a funny. I find the unexpected moment or joke brings levity and joy to a situation. So I looked her straight in the eyes and rose my hand.   She gave me that look of what are you doing and she lost it in laughter.  It was a good moment.

Often in life we forget the joys of simple laughter.  We get so busy with life, its challenges, it tragities, its struggles.  I will be honest. I have the issue of being someone who tries to make everything funny.  My go to mechanism for dealing with life is laughter.  I love to laugh.  I love to bring people joy through a smile or laughter. I am surprised by the humor God can provide when we allow the unexpected.

So this week, in a world filled with tragedy, find time to laugh. Find time to see the joy in the world.  Find time to laugh with loved ones.  Find time to have someone point you to the greatest joy in the world.  Look for the unexpected way God can bring you humor. Find time to hear about Jesus.  Find time to look to the cross where you can see the joy of the world sacrificed for you.

 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:4 NIV