She Laughs. He Laughs. They Laugh.

There is a woman in the Bible who is described as “being clothed with strength and dignity”, and here’s the part that really gets to me – “she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). I want to be that woman. I think we all long to be described like her, but I’m not sure we’d define ourselves as having no fear and “laughing” about the future.

How can we laugh when just over the weekend a shooter killed 7 people and over 21 were injured in Odessa, TX? In Chicago, gang members shot 66 people from 6 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Sunday and 12 of those victims have died. Then there’s Hurricane Dorian that is responsible for 5 deaths as it slammed into the Bahamas. And now, officials urged 2wo over two million people in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina to evacuate. So how can this Proverbs “laughing” woman possibly be laughing without fear of the future? When threats swirl around us, is it realistic to think this is even possible?

I believe God wants all of us to laugh without fear of the future. More clues about this woman’s sense of humor occur a little later in Proverbs 31:30 when she is described as a “woman who fears the Lord.” What does it mean to fear God? As a child I “feared” the Lord because I was afraid of Him and "His big stick". It was an unhealthy fear. I had little sense that God loved me. That changed when I understood that He so loved me He sent Jesus to die for me, and when I believed in Him, He adopted me as His daughter. Now I had hope in His love. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11

The fear of the Lord that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of Him, but reverencing Him. To “fear Him” means to stand in awe of Him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him." (Psalm 33:8) To fear the Lord is being in awe of His majesty, power, wisdom, justice, and mercy. To fear God means to know His great love and His desires for us to turn away from sin.

To fear God is to relate to Him as a child relates to his strong, faithful and loving father. We respect and honor the Lord, and we want to please Him. So, we obey Him. We know that He loves us and delights in us. The fear of the Lord is a wonderful gift from God that has brought joy and gladness into my life and has spared me from unimaginable pain and suffering. God tells us that to fear Him will lead to all kinds of wonderful blessings in our lives. I know that is why I am so blessed. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life….” (Proverbs 14:27) “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and His children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

So we can LAUGH with no fear of the future because, like that “laughing” Proverbs woman, we fear God. We stand in awe of Him, take refuge in Him, and hope in His steadfast love. It brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in Him with all our hearts. He holds us and our future. No wonder we can LOL -- laugh out loud! 🤣🤣🤣

She Laughs

“She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she LAUGHS without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25. I sure want to be this woman. This scripture speaks of a woman who embodies the balance of strength -- she is strong, holding it all together, while being able to laugh in the face of fear. She’s a woman who walks in the recognition of not only who she is, but Whose she is. No need to fear when God is her Father. I love that “SHE LAUGHS”. And, in a day when there is so much doom and gloom all around, laughing can be that "medicine" that causes us to have a merry heart, in spite of it all.

My post today was inspired by my granddaughter who is into calligraphy and when I saw what she had penned into her journal, “She Laughs. Proverbs 31:25", I knew I had to share it with you. "She Laughs” is me, especially when I'm with my grandchildren. Just yesterday, Lexi, had me in stitches when she was posing with Storm Trooper and Kylo Ren at Penney's.

From December 19th until January 10th, I will have been laughing way more than usual because I’ve been hanging out with my grandkids who take me to a whole new level of LAUGHING OUT LOUD. Last week, my two youngest grandsons were urging me to ride the hoverboard and the simple "try" had me laughing almost uncontrollably, and in this season of life, that can be quite interesting (I’ll leave it at that -- LOL!). Here I am now, back with 15-year old Payton and 14-year old Lexi who seem to pride themselves in seeing just how much they can "tickle my funny bone". As a matter of fact, Payton and I were laughing so hard at some internet postings, that it drew the rest of the family in to see what we were laughing about. Obviously, humor and laughter are infectious.

The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough or sniffle. Don't you just love the "belly laugh" of someone that gets you laughing? My dear son, Larry, is that way. I love watching movies with him because his laugh spreads to others, and we can't keep ourselves from laughing with him. When laughter is "caught", we are bound together in joy. The medical field says humor and laughter strengthen our immune system, boosts our energy, diminishes pain, and protects us from stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.....and we can't overdose on it. Matthew 17:22 says "A merry heart does good LIKE a medicine."

My dear husband's passing and funeral could have been one of the saddest times, if we had let it. But, instead, it turned into a joyous time of celebration and lightheartedness. How could that be? Because we laughed at so many memories of precious, hilarious times and now he was free of pain, so we joined in with his new freedom. Laughter sincerely helped us to keep a positive, optimistic outlook through the difficult times. That laughter went a long way in making us feel so much better.

Maybe it's time for you to try some "laughter" medicine. Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing. The ability to laugh, play, and have fun is such a gift from God.

I pray that you recognize that laughter just may be the needed ingredient for turning your gray skies to blue ones. So go ahead, what ever the future holds, like that Proverbs 31 woman, laughter just may be the key for you to live with "NO FEAR of the days to come."