Documenting Laughter

The past few months have provided so much more freedom to experience joy around here.  Now I can laugh so much more readily with my kids and even (sometimes!) at them.  This is a big change for us, because Mommy hasn't laughed much in the past.  But times, they are a changin'!

One thing I've found about dynamic periods of change is that they're full of exhilaration at the time, but I quickly forget them.  It's sad but true.  I'm like the Israelites in the Bible who quickly complain that they want to return to Egypt; even when God is leading them with a pillar of fire and feeding them with manna.  Instead of realizing or remembering all the goodness of God, they begin missing the "leeks" and other foods back in stinky-ol'-slavin'-away Egypt.

Anyway, at some point in the Bible, God tells people to start recording all the miracles he does for them, so they don't forget.  And at some point, they start building little shrines to help them remember.  They call them........wait for it now........Ebenezers. 

Yeah, weird word....as in Scrooge, Cratchit, et. all.  But it has nothing to do with that.  Except that it is Christmas time right now, so it relates in a bizarre sort of non sequitur way.  Merry Christmas.

But back to the Ebenezers in the Bible.  They were simply a way for people to memorialize or record something awesome that God did.  And since most people back then didn't write, they couldn't just write it down.  So, they built up some rocks, or did other stuff that would help them remember: an Ebenezer.

But, nowadays, most of us read and write.  And that makes things easier.  So that's a little bit of what this blog is for me, because it's kind of like an Ebenezer in a crazy digital way.  It's a record, anyway.  One of the things that I want to record is God's work in my heart as evidenced by laughter.  So now, because this is totally a stream of consciousness post, I'm going to relay a 3-second snippet of my day that made me laugh until a tear rolled down my cheek. 

I laughed because I could, more than because it was funny.  I laughed because God loves me, and I love my kids, and I don't have to live in fear any more.

Overheard today.  The scene:  My 4 year old girl is dressed in a fairy costume.

"I'm Tinkerbell.  (pause)

I don't really have control.....of my hair.  I'm not having a very good day with my hair.  (pause)

But I'm Tinkerbell."

It really made me laugh.  And maybe the Christmas reference shouldn't be overlooked, because I hope to record this as The Christmas We Laughed Again.  And I'm going to make sure we don't forget what a blessing that is.