Choosing Laughter
(Pictured above: Mary and John enjoy being on the water whenever possible.)
“Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:2)
Dear Friends,
“You need to choose laughter. Stop mourning,” chided a friend over lunch. He then handed me a scrap piece of paper with two words circled: “laughter” and “dance.” On the paper was written, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecc. 3:1,4). My friend insisted, “The Lord wants you to be happy. He wants you to laugh instead of weep, dance instead of cry. You need to choose happiness even when things are hard.”
The past year has been heavy. Wars and rumors of war have threatened our workers and friends. Some retreated to the mountains, others sheltered in place, or refuged in bomb shelters. We lost a young worker to cancer. Others are battling health and family issues. We had many dilemmas to handle and crises to avert while I navigated John’s cancer journey.
Somehow, I thought it was unspiritual to be happy. In the world of missions, sacrifice, risk, and surrender are the norm. My own natural tendency is also more intense, focused on the next mountain to scale. I have too many fires in the frying pan, and too many frying pans on the burners!
But as I sat across the lunch table from my wise friend, I realized that the relentless weight of leadership, dilemmatic decisions, and world events had muzzled my laughter. I realized that the Lord wanted to lift my gaze and pump my heart afresh. I needed to choose laughter.
I looked up Ecclesiastes 3 and there it says plainly, “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” (Ecc. 3.12-3)
As I prayed, the Lord lifted me out of the fog. He asked me, “Tell me, what are the things that make you happy?” Swim, do jigsaw, kayak, pray as the sun rises, learn something new, hang out with my family, soak in beauty.
I now ask you this question: What brings you happiness while you fulfill your ministry and missional purpose? What is on your list? Please reply when you get a moment.
May you find the gift of God, which is to be happy, do good, enjoy fellowship and food with friends, and find satisfaction in partnering with Jesus in Kingdom labor.
Blessings,
Mary
Dr. Mary Ho, DSL
All Nations International, Inc. | International Executive Leader
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