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Topic: Laughter (10/18/04)
TITLE: Snapshots of Laughter By Trish Thompson 10/25/04 |
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I remember that laughter as a blanket of love, to cover and warm me when I’m down, and my mouth curves up, and the laugh comes out again, the memory so vivid and clear, God’s gift to brighten the day. That laugh and the memory lifts you up, brushing all the discouragement away.
My middle son, A.J. comes next to my mind, and the snapshot I see takes me back, back to when he was about three, and again into mischief he’d gone. Knowing he’d been bad, he approached where I sat on the sofa with such a stern face, and he’d lay his head down on my knee and look up into my face. His lips would begin to twitch, and that laugh would pop out like music notes tossed in the air, he just couldn’t keep it in.
Who could resist…you just had to join in…that music wraps itself round your heart. You laugh together, the anger dissolves, and the music stays with you all day. Now when anger threatens, I remember that sweet music, and the look on my mischievous son’s face; and the laughter of forgiveness comes back again, pushing all the anger away.
Another picture appears, again at the shore, I can feel the fresh breeze, as we nervously came over the dunes. My youngest son, Ian, was afraid of the water…he’d been scared at the day-care pool. I didn’t know how he’d react, seeing all that water, when Lake Michigan would lay at his feet. I watched his face when we reached the top of the dune, and I rejoiced at what I saw.
His mouth made that “O” that only small children can do, when the wonder they see overcomes, and then he took off running, straight down to the water, letting the little waves lap at his feet. As he ran down the edge of that water, his laughter rang out in the air, flying high like a flag held in outstretched hands, a parade of one, oh so free!
Who could resist...you just had to join in...as that sound reaches back and wraps round your heart, and your laughter joins his as you run down the beach, bright flags waving in the breeze. Now when I feel nervous, or unsure what lies ahead, I remember that laughter on the beach, and the memory helps me push through, brushing all the uncertainty away.
God gave us all laughter, to be what we need, to minister in just the right way; a blanket of love, mischievous music or flags; and at times it can be all three!