The Healing Power of Laughter

A decade ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my journey, when a spontaneous belly laugh pierced the silence of grief after my mother's sudden passing. It was a powerful reminder of laughter's profound proof of healing. Through prayer, reflection, and the invaluable support of grief counseling and community, I've learned to embrace moments of joy amidst life's challenges. Join me as I open up about this personal experience and encourage you to reflect on your own journey to finding laughter and joy even in the darkest times.

We'll also take a closer look at the biblical tale of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac from Genesis 21, exploring the significance of laughter as a divine gift. The story serves as a powerful reminder of the happiness we can find and share daily. Our discussion aims to inspire you to become a beacon of positivity, offering encouragement and kind words to those around you. Let's commit to lifting each other up, countering negativity with hope and joy, and filling our days with laughter, self-care, and cherished connections.

Now get out into the world and be a woman who intentionally encourages another!

#women #podcast

Chapters

• 0:31 Discovering Laughter
• 17:18 Finding Laughter and Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:31

Good morning Encouragers. It's Jo. Welcome back to the Encourage Her Community podcast. It has certainly been a bit since I have recorded and I gotta tell you I have missed this outpouring opportunity. I have so much coming into my spirit all of the time right now, as I'm in seminary and I'm learning and I'm growing and I'm being fine-tuned and it's wholly overwhelming. It's holy and it's overwhelming. It's amazing and I can't say enough about it. I'm really enjoying it. But what I find is that my spirit is quite cluttered. Many different themes going on at one time, many different books of the Bible or concepts of God or even elements of myself, you know, and my spirit all swirling together all the time and it's really heady and it's amazing. But I want to be careful. I don't want to come on to the podcast and record just for the sake of recording. I have never been about that. I don't like to create for creation's sake. That's not what it's about. I only want to come on the podcast when I feel like I really have something to share from the Lord. So that's why I haven't been on here as much, because I almost have too much to share and it wouldn't be clean and clear for you. So here's my attempt at coming on when I feel the Lord asking me to. I do feel a stirring to get back at it with the podcast. I really miss it. I really love sharing with you and I really hope it encourages you and that then you can turn around, as I always say, and get out into the world yourself and choose to encourage someone else. So let's open up in prayer and then we'll get started today.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Dear Lord, thank you so much for this woman listening. I don't know if she's driving to work. Thank you so much for this woman listening. I don't know if she's driving to work, running late and just needed something to calm her spirit. Maybe she's walking outside, hopefully taking care of her body, maybe even on a run. Maybe she's sitting in her cubicle getting worked on, and this is kind of running in the background. And then, lastly, I hope there's some women who are kicking their feet up. They've got a cozy, blanket over themselves and a candle and they just have the provision of time. That would be so awesome. No matter what she's doing, lord, you know what she needs. You know why I am to get on here and record this message. So just do what only you can do and speak to her heart. We show up to this podcast for encouragement, ultimately from you, hoping that it will overflow into our lives, that we can shine our lights in the world, that we can maybe lend a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement that the world might not give us otherwise. Let us be those women and let us receive that ourselves today In your name. Amen, all right girls.

Speaker 1: 3:41

So I have been thinking a lot about laughter. Quite a few years ago I want to say 10 years ago I belly laughed for the first time in a very, very long time. So my mom passed away 20 years ago and I didn't know it, but I wasn't laughing for a long time. I think a part of my spirit was so crushed that I couldn't get to that point of joy. I had internal joy of the Lord, like the hope of eternity, the joy of heaven, but on earth. That might sound weird to say it that way, but I really didn't have true, deep laughter. I had babies during this time. I had toddlers who were funny. I was laughing and it wasn't fake or phony, but I wasn't experiencing the depth of joy from laughter and humor like I had prior to my mom's passing, and when my mom passed it was so traumatic and sudden that it was like I had. It took a decade for me to catch up to the reality. That sounds wild even to say, because a decade is a really long time, but if you have lost someone suddenly especially I mean you lost anyone that you love but especially that sudden kind of loss that you really have to have time to catch up to, it takes a bit, it really does, and it takes a whole lot out of you. And I am only now, 20 years later, starting to see parts of myself back that have been gone for a while.

Speaker 1: 5:25

So, as I said, about 10 years ago I realized I belly laughed for the first time, like cry laughed, and I remember it feeling so good and almost instantly realizing it's been a long time since I've had this feeling. What's that about? I couldn't almost believe it. I was like when was the last time I laughed like this? When was the last time I laughed to the point of like tears or like peeing my pants kind of laugh? It had been a while, guys, it had been a really long time, and so it's not like I instantly started belly laughing every day after that. But it was just a pivotal moment, I think, in my healing process or my grief process, where I realized, wow, okay, I have done some healing, god's been working. You know this grief counseling I was doing, reading my Bible, spending time with people who were pouring into me, all while doing busy full life but making an intentional effort to grieve and to allow myself to heal. It was working, and not because of anything I had done, but because of God and it was a really hopeful moment for me.

Speaker 1: 6:38

And again, it's not like I belly laugh all day, every day now, but over time I've just seen more and more laughter and God has brought certain people into my life who have my kind of humor, or brought certain TV shows which sounds so silly, but just bringing in that laughter that I grew up with. I have really funny siblings and we laughed a lot growing up and I really missed that piece of my life and although I was laughing, I wasn't deep laughing. So I don't know if you can relate to this or, when you look at your own life after this podcast, if you can look at it with the lens of laughter and say do I laugh enough? You know, god gave us laughter. God gave us humor.

Speaker 1: 7:22

If you think about the fact that we are made in his image. All humans, whether they believe or not, believe we're made in his image by the triune God, the beginning of the Bible. Right, let us, meaning God, father and Son, make them. Make him Adam in my image, make her Eve in our image. We are made in the image of God, which would also mean that if you took the funniest comedian you can think of, that's a part of God, so God must be the funniest. Like I can't wait to get to heaven and belly laugh with God. Have you ever thought about that? It's not something I think about every day, but let's just allow ourselves to think about that for a minute. He is the funniest dude ever. He's also the holiest of holies. He is this dynamic God and we have a piece of that in us. So we may not all be gifted and being able to do stand-up comedy or something like that. You wouldn't want to see me do that. Like third grade teacher level is where I'm at. They thought I was funny, but you know we don't all have that specific talent or gift, but we all have laughter, and laughter has been mentioned since the beginning of time.

Speaker 1: 8:49

I don't know if you know this, but there are characters in the Bible Abraham and Sarah and they could not have a baby and if you've gone through infertility or if you've gone through a season of wanting a child, you will relate to this specific kind of pain. It was a long suffering for them. They were of old age I'm talking old age guys. They weren't just 25 or 35, as our world will tell us now that you know, a certain age is high risk and I understand it's true, I'm not denying all of those things but they were old and God came in and gave them a baby. They prayed and they were given a baby and prior to this gift of a baby, sarah, out of trauma and depression, had laughed at God In the sense like you can't give me a baby, I'm old. By the time they were given Isaac, who was their son, abraham was 100 years old. Guys, talk about high risk, 100 years old. What would medicine today say about that? And Sarah had laughed at God in a mocking way.

Speaker 1: 10:27

And what's so interesting about this part of our story? Really the biblical story? This is all the way in Genesis 21,. If you want to read about it, not only did God, he didn't mock her or condemn her or punish her for her mocking. He knows her, he loves her, he knows her pain. He was writing a story that she couldn't fully see. He also knew that, writing a story that she couldn't fully see. He also knew that. But instead of condemning her with that laughter, he gave her the gift of laughter. So if you will, if you want, if you're reading in your Bible, you can hop to Genesis 21 or you can just listen along.

Speaker 1: 11:14

But in Genesis 21, verses 5 and 6 and 7, I want to read that to you, this part of the story of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said God has made laughter for me. And she said and I want to zoom in on that, verse 6. God has made laughter for me and everyone who hears will laugh over me. Now, she doesn't mean that they will laugh at her. She means they will laugh with her. The name Isaac actually means laughter. He was named after this moment Joy, laughter, happiness, gladness, all wrapped up into one word and into one baby. And this baby went on to be a part of the lineage of Jesus Christ coming to earth. This is not a small thing. So from the beginning of eternity Genesis, the beginning, the origin we have laughter and laughter as a gift from God, and laughter even after trauma and long suffering.

Speaker 1: 12:58

There's much that I could say about this little portion of scripture, but I want us today just to focus on the fact that we can laugh after trauma. We can have joy and laughter and deep belly happiness. You know, tears of joy even after suffering and loss, because we have a God who can provide it. We have a God who never leaves us. We have a God who will heal the calloused, hardened and bring back the lost parts of your spirit. He's done it for me, so I can say it's true, he can do it for you too.

Speaker 1: 13:44

So when you look at your life, where's laughter missing? Maybe there's portions of your life you can laugh in and you can have joy, and then there's other parts that aren't as hard and you find yourself laughing there less. Maybe it's a sign you haven't healed that portion of your life yet. Maybe there's some wounds that are left open. Maybe there's some hurt, people, stuff, trauma. It's worth leaning into. It's worth allowing yourself to be vulnerable, although it's scary. I can't tell you how scared I was the first time I walked into grief counseling, grief therapy so scared Because it's raw and it's the stuff that maybe you don't always want to think about. But it's available and we have. The greatest counselor is God and you can come to his word and receive wisdom and comfort and joy and hope for a future, and he can begin that process. If you haven't started, he can begin that process with you of healing that calloused heart. He can massage those hurts away. Doesn't mean that your circumstances will change. He hasn't brought my mom back, but he has healed me and he has given me gifts after trauma.

Speaker 1: 15:06

So I want us to work on laughing. I want us to try to be women who have humor. This can be something that you can actually manufacture. Maybe you're having a hard time finding things funny because you're in a really hard season and, as I said, I understand that I really do. But there are ways that you can try to create it. Maybe watch shows that make you laugh. Think of the funniest movie that you've ever seen. Watch it more often.

Speaker 1: 15:43

Be around people that make you laugh. Do you have friends that you find so funny? I love people that don't even know they're funny. You know it's like they don't even know they're funny and they're hilarious. Be around those people, give them a call. Just laugh for laughter's sake.

Speaker 1: 16:00

Find things on social media, on YouTube, that make you laugh. It's the cheapest, most natural, god-given medicine that there is in existence. There are physical, psychological benefits, spiritual benefits to laughing. Research shows it. It's not just a cute thought, it's a real thing. And life is so serious and life will drag us down. Life gives us so many reasons to not laugh. But let's just try it. Let's try to laugh more often. Let's look for reasons to laugh. Let's find humor in things. I promise you it'll cheer you up. I promise you that it's free, quick and easy and I promise you that God is in it. He made it.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Join me in trying to be a woman who finds humor today. Maybe be the reason someone laughs. Wouldn't that be great? Just wanted to share that with you, ladies.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Today I encourage you to get into Genesis 21,. Read about Abraham and Sarah and their story and their little baby Isaac laughter. How cool is that? The gift of laughter is available to all of us. Let's find it today, let's seek it today and while you're doing that. Choose to be women who encourage. We know there's enough critics and negativity in the world. We don't need to add to that. It's like handling itself okay. We need to do the opposite. We need to be women who offer positive thoughts, who offer hopeful thoughts, compliments, little treasures for people to keep them going. Let's be women who choose to encourage today. I hope you have a fantastic Monday, ladies, and I hope that I get to record again this week and you can hear from me again next Monday. But if not, be well, stay in your Bible, keep taking care of yourself, get good rest and smile more, laugh, more Love to you all. See you next Monday.