Ecclesiastes 3.12-13.

‘I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour—it is the gift of God.’

THIS past week I met a relative I had not seen in years. She said something that made me laugh really hard. She exclaimed “Oh you have not changed; your laugh is still distinct and infectious”. As I left their residence, I called a friend of mine and we spoke for a bit and in between we got to share a hearty laugh.

I had never really thought about it but laughing is so medicinal, it has an ability to fill you and give you this amazing tingle. It can literally pass for a drug. Have you ever thought to imagine how detailed the Lord was in his creation of the human body.

It’s sometimes very easy to doubt the existence of GOD but little attributes like the ability to laugh can sometimes bring home the fact that we are each wonderfully made creations. All the doubts that one has can literally fall away at just the thought of these things we take for granted.

Let’s take the thought further and dwell on the ability to smile, that amazing ability to just lift yourself through this one act of showing affection and warmth. It seems we were ultimately made to be happy, to share this happiness to be warm and to share this and in turn receive warmth and love from others.

We all have distinct personalities and character traits that are uniquely ours; the things that we do which distinguish us from the next person. Don’t you want to be known as that affectionate, warm person that shares? Ultimately that is what we were created to do; every day we are implored to find our true selves through an intricate walk with Him that created us. Through this walk these distinct character traits are supposed to begin to manifest.

We all want to be happy to do the things that take us to our happy place, a space we yearn for and cherish. This ability is available to each one of us; it’s there for the taking.

Unhappiness sometimes stems when we try so hard to change the current; to turn the tide and the wind in a direction that we feel is best for us. The truth however, like our own creation, is seen in many of the things that we fight to save or hold on to that sometimes draw us away from happiness and, ultimately, the things we have very little control over.

Today you will have planned your day ahead of time that you shall meet or see this or that person, where you shall go and at what time. However, with this perfect plan that you have hatched, you will encounter people who you never envisaged to meet. These chance encounters or appointments go beyond our ability to plan, yet many of these are life changing.

If you were in control you would clearly determine every aspect of your life. What you have is the freedom of choice, but the circumstances and that which has been destined for you go beyond your human ability.

Given this fact, take time to laugh more; to laugh from the bottom of your heart, smile a bit more as well. Sometimes, laugh at the circumstances you find yourself in and the things you encounter. From these gregarious acts you will release, exhale and let out some of the steam that has been pent up.

Your ability to be happy in some way lies in your own desire to choose to be happy rather than sad. You have been given the perfect ability to express your happiness; use it. After all if this emotion or act was created and added to who you are then the maker intended for it to be used.

Don’t take yourself too seriously; live a little, laugh a bit more, smile and make someone’s day better. Maybe that one act of being selfless is all they require to make their day; be that person. Let’s laugh and smile more.