Giggling Gals

"A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)

While settling our girls for bed tonight we wound up with a case of the "giggles". And, if you've ever been a little girl, (or rather, a girl at all!) you know what it's like. Those uncontrollable giggles just bubble from your toes right on up and threaten to spill over at any given moment. And there truly is no stopping them.
I understand first hand the lack of self control when it comes to the giggles. As a little girl, I recall many an instance when they would come on, and usually at the most inopportune moments. In church services, during parental lectures, in classroom settings I would obtain an incurable case. They always got me in trouble. And now, even as an adult, the oddest things will strike my funny nerve and it's all over after that. I am known, during bad cases, to be completely incoherent. Try as I might, whatever I have to say during the middle of my giggle attack comes out completely jumbled. Those around me are left to stare in amazement, questioning my sanity and sobriety.
Back to tonight...
Once we thought we were "cured" we attempted to end the day as we always do...in family prayer. I should have known better, though, from the smile spread wide on Jillian's face. (She, out of the three, apparently has inherited the most of my "lack of self control gene"...bless her soul.) Poor hubs couldn't make it through the whole prayer without a few poorly contained snickers here and there. I had to bury my head (and my smile) in shame. Or maybe it was more out of fear that my giggles would bust wide open again. I know prayer is a holy, hushed experience...but I can't help but wonder if the Lord just smiles down on us when our spirits are full of joy...even in the midst of prayer. I shall ask him when I get to heaven (add it to my VERY long list of questions I have).
Once they were finally cured and tucked in their beds I couldn't help but smile...and think. Proverbs 17:22 immediately came to mind. I love being able to see the funny things in life. Finding humor even in the somewhat difficult times. Humor brings about a merry heart, which truly is a medicine. And I think about the times in my life that have been dark and empty....void of laughter...it really does dry the bones. When I began this journey called "parenting" I didn't find much reason for laughter. Crying babies, fatigue, a post-pregnancy physique, constant feeding, free-range hormones, demanding toddlers, inconsistent schedules...it all meant one thing to me: a lack of control. I no longer could control the things in my life and the little people in my life...and it shook my world. What first started as a "joyful" season quickly changed into an "angry" one. Fear has that affect on us humans. And angry fear stemming from a lack of control is not of God. It robs you of being able to see the simple joys in life. I felt robbed the first few years of parenting. (Quick! Someone dial 911!) It completely dries the bones. It was, however, my own doing. Fast forward a few more years. I find myself on my knees....surrendering this little issue of "control" back to God. He had it to begin with...I just mistakenly felt that He needed a little help with it. There were so many circumstances in which I can now see that God was trying to get my attention concerning this matter of control. 5 week old Jillian being hospitalized and intubated for a week, 2 year old Kaytlin hospitalized with meningitis and encephalitis, coping with a very strong willed child....those were just a few of the whispers from God. What was the straw that broke this ol' camel's back? I honestly can't tell you. Maybe it was just simply reaching the end of myself and finally looking up. What I can tell you is that joy was restored, life was renewed, and laughter was God's medicine. My thirsty bones were quenched. And they continue to be quenched, as God places laughter in my life daily.