Does God laugh?
This week I have been working diligently to improve our appearance at the Encouragers’ offices. We have been using donated, scavenged, and thrift store miss-matched furniture for the past 3 years in an attempt to save money. Because Encouragers Counseling & Training Centers has been blessed so much with hard working, caring therapists, I felt it was “time” to upgrade their offices. So out with the old and in with the new or newer versions of furniture.
Wednesday last week, I was taking the broken, torn, and dilapidated furniture to the dump with my Office Manager, Jennifer. As we unloaded the truck and trailer of broken items, I came to the last sofa on the trailer and pushed it over the side. Unfortunately, it rolled back partially onto the trailer. I pressed it further out-leaning most of the way out of the trailer- and told Jennifer to “Take it.” She did and I flopped right out of the trailer landing on my back on top of broken glass and discarded trash. I was laughing so hard no sound came out and Jennifer was in a panic as she ran around the sofa to ask repeatedly, “Are you okay? Are you OKAY?” Suddenly, a belly laugh erupted and I lay in the filth laughing uncontrollably. What a sight I must have been, as I noticed a man peeking around the back of his truck briefly smiling, and he quickly ducked out of view. I got up and dusted off my backside (and my pride) and quickly assessed for damages. There were none and we were quickly on our way.
I always believed Jesus laughs, after all he was fully man and God, so if Jesus laughs, why would we not think God laughs as well. So I searched the scriptures as I recalled once hearing someone say, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.” I believe they were paraphrasing this Bible verse;
“The one enthroned in heaven laughs. The Lord makes fun of them.”
Psalm 2:4 (GW)
I believe laughter is God's way of allowing us to "laugh it off." Because I could laugh at myself when I fell out of the trailer, the pain of the moment did not grip me and turn me into a sobbing, crying, senseless, and hopeless victim of my circumstances. By laughing, and accepting the "flop" as a temporary moment in time, I was able to "dust off" the pain and continue my day without much thought to it. Of course two days later the bruises are showing, but my perspective is one of laughter and not pain because of the CHOICE I made in the moment.
The Bible talks about “seasons” and change as being inevitable. “This too shall pass,” is a quote I use often when talking about painful events and not allowing them to keep a hold on us as we allow the healing process to change us overtime. I thought it was a Bible quote and was searching for its origin. I was surprised to learn this:
“The legend of the quote finds its roots in the court of a powerful eastern Persian ruler who called his sages (wise men) to him, including the Sufi poet Attar of Nishapur, and asked them for one quote that would be accurate at all times and in all situations. The wise men consulted with one another, and threw themselves into deep contemplation,
and finally came up with the answer ...
"this too, shall pass".
The ruler was so impressed by the quote that he had it inscribed in a ring.”
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-this-too-shall-pass
What I do know is that the Bible does refer to change in the book of Ecclesiastes, which refers to “A Time for Everything”:
3 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 (NLT)
I’ve heard that when we are standing before God prior to entering into heaven (or as the jokes say; Saint Peter and the pearly gates) we will have an opportunity to WATCH our lives and give an accounting for our choices and actions while we were on Earth. I think my life story is going to one of those movies where God hands me (and the angles) a bowl of popcorn and together we will watch as "heaven laughs."
Does God laugh? I believe He does and He’s having a ball watching me.