Laughing at the Future

I heard it quoted in an ordination class. A fellow classmate was making a comment and I can't recall why she was quoting from a portion of Proverbs 31, but one of the phrases from that passage made my heart do a double take. At break time, I flipped through my small NLT Bible to Proverbs 31 and began reading. Then, there it was. Verse 25. She laughs with no fear of the future.

It had been a while since I read through this passage of the noble woman, wife, and mother, but in all the times I have read or studied this scripture passage, I didn't remember this particular verse. She laughs with no fear of the future. I really had no idea this verse existed.

I have a tendency to think ahead - too many details way in advance. Lots of details. What-if and what-if-that. Dennis tells me that I think of details that no one else is thinking about at all, if ever. It's March and I've already been considering what-ifs and details for December! Planning and details have their place, but there is a point when it becomes unhealthy. Perhaps as we consider future travel, and I need to make decisions about dates and consider holidays and such, I can justify my planning, but I always know when I've gone too far with it. And, because it is so far in advance, it all takes place in my head. Most of the time, there is not a tangible thing I can do or even write down. All in my head only invites worry and fear and anxiety.

Did you know the average baby laughs 300 times a day compared to the average adult who laughs 20 times a day (according to Wikipedia anyway)? I wonder if I even laugh 20 times a day. Do you? I had to go back several years (like 9 years ago) to find a picture of me laughing (the one above - a bit thinner than now, too). Not that we take pictures of people laughing that much, but still.

And, did you know that laughter bonds people, and lowers anxiety? It has a stress-relieving effect. Did you also know that it actually dilates blood vessels, aiding circulation?  No wonder the writer of Proverbs said that laughter is good medicine.

So, you can see why this verse has not left me. It comes to me in the middle of the day if I'm wondering about the future - like our upcoming move - and then I picture myself with head thrown back in laughter, and I smile at the thought. In that picture God is with me and he is laughing too. Immediately, the wondering and unnecessary details floating around in my head come to a stop. Instead I have a quiet heart at peace with the future. God and me laughing together, for my trust is in Him.