Instead of going out for Valentines, I suggested Mike and a friend of ours fix the ladies steaks at home. In return, she and I decided that we would cook their Valentines dinner Saturday night! We were so impressed with our Saturday night plans that we decided to turn it into a competition, of course! Our decadent fish dish was wonderful and served on a beautifully decorated candlelit table. And because my friends husband said he had written a song for Valentines, we could not be outdone. My friend wrote a song and I was in charge of lighting, just like a real show! On Valentines, she was instructed to come to my house while Mike went to her house to prepare. Everything was planned down to us using the front door and the chef seating us in a beautiful candle lit dining room. We were served appetizers and then steaks that were seasoned and grilled to perfection. The only negative was the "chef" (as he introduced himself" and the "dishwasher" (as he introduced my husband) were arguing in the kitchen, of course. We thought about asking for a different table, not so close to the kitchen! After dinner we were entertained by a song written for us and our families. So wish I could share! The laughter we shared those two nights were priceless and much needed!
I believe we have all heard the benefits of laughter. Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is a natural stress reliever and it increases your immune system. It improves circulation and muscle tone, and it increases your heart rate and certain hormones and endorphins which make you feel better. Laughing usually leads to a brighter outlook on life and is good for the body and the soul. Studies have shown babies and children laugh hundreds of times a day. Adults, on the other hand, often barely make it to double digits. Science has finally validated what King Solomon told us thousands of years ago! In Proverbs 15: 13, he wrote, "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."
Job's friends gave him hope when they told him in Job 8: 21, that God, "will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." That would give me hope! Luke 6: 21b, "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." Even when we are in the valleys, we can sometimes find humor in life and that makes it a bit brighter. I cannot imagine how blah life would be without laughter. I think if we would laugh more our attitude would be better and our future would seem brighter.
We are blessed to be able to experience hope and joy regardless of our circumstances. King David wrote about it in Psalm 30: 11. "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 3: 1,4, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to weep and a time to laugh..."
I believe God intends for us to laugh and I believe laughter is a wonderful gift from God. Judges 19: 6, "Let your heart be merry." Let's remember what Proverbs 17: 22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." I agree with Jimmy Buffet, “If we could not laugh we would all go insane.” Have you laughed today?