A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up bones.
– Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

Sometimes the daily adventure of coaching just makes me laugh! I was making preparations for a road game with my middle school football team. The year had been a little different from most as our new athletic facilities were under construction and we had been forced to practice off campus. The bus we used for transportation to and from practice was also used to take small children home from another campus. I knew I had better check the gas and oil levels before my trip and I also wanted to be sure the bus was clean. As I boarded the bus, I remembered that two items needed to be removed before we left that afternoon. The first was a large immersion tube that is required for safety reasons at each practice and the other was a small baby carrier attached to the front seat. I don’t know about your coaching experiences, but that was a first for me and I had to stop for a few minutes and just laugh.

Have you ever wondered if God laughs? Scripture tells us that we have been created in God’s image, so I’m thinking if we have the ability to laugh, so does God. I would even venture to say that God delights in our laughter. King Solomon says, “There is a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” So, when you get on a bus and see bathtubs and baby seats, just stop a minute and laugh! The best part of my experience was as I laughed, I fully believe God was laughing with me. I’ve got to think a God who can make a donkey talk and allow an old woman like Sarah to become a mother, knows something about humor. When was the last time you and God had a good laugh together?
 
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of laughter. Help me to see the humor in situations today and not to take life or myself too seriously. Amen.