The Birth of Laughter

Do we laugh enough today? Do we laugh with our children enough? Do they see us laughing? Laughter is a good thing, isn't it? Laughter is a blessing. It's a release. It's healing. It's joy. It's natural. It's life. Have you ever found yourself in one of those brief moments of life when you are so filled with joy, that you just start laughing? One of those times where you are having so much fun that laughter just seems to pour out of you uncontrollably? It might not happen very often, but it creeps up from time to time, doesn't it?

I love watching little babies or toddlers laugh! You know the laugh I'm talking about. That little repetitious, giggling, vibrating, almost mechanical, uncontrollable laugh! You can't help but get caught up in it and begin laughing yourself! It doesn't matter what the child is laughing at! It's contagious! And when you think about it, children laugh a lot, don't they? It's almost as if they instinctively have the disposition to laugh at almost anything. Maybe they know something we don't, and laugh at how goofy we can be as moms and dads? I don't know!

But one thing I have learned as a parent; kids teach us to laugh more often than we do on our own. It's a huge factor of raising kids, just as much as crying! And the one thing that it does more than anything else is that it "connects". It bonds us together with our kids because we share in a moment of joy that is pure and real. In fact, I would go so far as to say that these are divine moments that come from God, and is the kind of joy in life that He longs for all of us to have all the time.

The Hebrew meaning of the name Issac is "he will laugh", "he laughs" or just "laughter". In Genesis 21:1-6, we read a little story about the birth of baby named Issac. He was born to an old couple named Abraham and Sarah as a promise to Abraham from God. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. But there were a couple of problems with this promise. Abraham and Sarah were old timers! Well beyond the age that most of us start trying to have kiddos! And this would be their FIRST baby! Why? Sarah was unable to carry a child! Kind of makes it difficult to fulfill this promise, huh? In fact, what does Sarah do when Abraham tells her about this promise from God, besides "what have you been smoking?" You guessed it! She LAUGHS!

But there's more to the meaning of Issac's name than Sarah's initial "laugh". When Issac finally comes into the world, she laughs again. But this time, it's not out of disbelief or bewilderment. She laughs because her joy is overflowing! It's almost as if she realizes in the instance of Issac's birth, the reason that God chose his name! God had done what He had promised and she is overwhelmed with joy! Can you imagine the joy that they felt at that moment in time? "Laughter" was born! Uncontrollable. Overflowing. Divine.