The Medicine

Proverbs 17:22 – A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (NIV)

My granddaughters and I, plus two of the dogs, had to spend the day in Whitehorse, Yukon. One of the dogs, Simon, was having surgery, which meant that we had to be on the road by 6 a.m. in order to arrive at the vet's by 8 a.m.

The other pooch, Denver, was just having shots, so he would be riding around in the truck with us all day.

So, I was in for a long and very busy day with my girls, aged two and four, as well as a 90-pound dog that wanted nothing more than to sit in the driver's seat every time I vacated it and then not to give it up when I returned.

All in all, things went along fairly smoothly. We got our groceries and errands done and then decided that it was lunchtime. Before lunch, however, I wanted to let Denver out for a quick run, and I knew just the spot. When we arrived, though, the lot was under construction, and we ended up having to drive to the other side of the city.

By the time when we arrived at the restaurant, we were all hungry and tired.

Fortunately, lunch arrived in record time. Once we were finished, I took the kids to the bathroom. This was when chaos broke loose. Ade, the older, ran into the farthest stall and locked the door, laughing maniacally. Okay, I thought, no big deal, let it go. After Lindy had finished, we went to wash our hands. At this time, Ade began hollering that she couldn't get the door unlocked. When I turned around to instruct her as to how to get out, Lindy was busy with the automatic towel dispenser. Now, I have found that these dispensers are usually very temperamental and stingy in regard to getting them to come forth with paper towels. But when I heard Lindy laughing and I turned around to see what she was doing, paper towels were flying like mad out of the machine as she kept waving her hand in front of it. In the meantime, Ade was pounding on the door and still hollering that she couldn't get out.

At the peak of this frustration, not knowing what to do first, I simply stood still and said out loud, "Lord, You are the God Who brings order out of chaos. Please do so now!" That was when it happened. I looked at the situation and started to laugh. Then, Lindy started to laugh, and Ade, who had somehow gotten herself out of that locked stall, showed up and started to laugh, too.

The tension was broken, everyone's attitude calmed down, and order was restored.

Pete Cann states that laughter is good for our souls because it brings us together, releases tension in the environment, and relaxes our nerves, making it beneficial for both emotional and physical well-being. Laughter is the best way to improve our mood, and there is no better alternative than a laugh to bring balance to our lives.

So today, when frustration comes our way and we feel like we are ready to scream, let's try standing still for a moment and asking God to bring order out of our chaos. Perhaps, we will find that He administers good medicine, through giving us a good laugh.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for the gift of laughter — a good medicine for our souls. May we each be blessed with a large dose of it today. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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