You Should Have Heard Them Laugh…

A cheerful heart is good medicine.  Now I didn’t make that one up, someone far wiser than me, or any of us for that matter, said that a long time ago.  I think he was on to something.  As I look back over my life at the truly difficult days of the Journey, I can remember hours, weeks and even months when it seemed there was no laughter in my world.  I have described grief to others as feeling like “someone turned off all the music”.  Funny how even right now I remember how quiet it was… so very quiet.   

There were other times that I remember laughter, but I was on the outside looking in. Growing up was a bit painful for me as it was for many of us.  “Fitting in” with the cool kids was an art I never seemed to master. Years ago I finally gave up and simply embraced by “differentness”.  It was not like I ever really had any other option.

In Junior High (long before there were Intermediate and Middle schools) my physical characteristics didn’t help much either.  I knew the conversation had turned to me when I was addressed as “Two Ton Tubby”, or I heard: “Hey Human Bowling Ball, roll over here and see us!”.   At my very wise Mother’s advice, rather than ignore it, I was going to join in their banter.  I was going to let it “roll off my back”, so I “rolled over” to see them.  They were not to ever know how deeply it hurt, so I joined in their laughter as well.  Then I went home and cried.

You should have heard them laugh…

Each conference in which we have the great privilege to share a small part, is many ways the same. Yet each conference is totally unique.  The idea for this video came at supper on Saturday evening.  I was sitting next to a precious young mom, the first genuine “New Yorker” I had ever really talked to.  Midway through the conversation I suddenly realized that though we were sitting right next to each other, we were actually shouting.  It was what we had to do to be heard above the uproarious laughter in the room.  

The spontaneous outbursts of joy came from every part of that beautiful dining area while the steady waves of the Atlantic Ocean rolled in.  My heart was, and still is, overwhelmed at the incredible grace of God.  To be quite honest, that “God moment” was indescribable.  In the time it takes for our hearts to beat a few times I found myself overwhelmed in the embrace of their laughter.  That place was full of the cheerful hearts of moms who had little to rejoice about according to the world’s thinking. Yet this was a group of moms who had, and were discovering the unseen, yet intense power of a heart in tune with the very God of the universe.  They were making a simple, yet powerful choice to look outward and upward instead of inward.  It wasn’t really like that just a day earlier when many met for the first time having no idea what to expect from a “Grief Conference”.  

I remembered at that moment on that evening in that place how it felt years earlier when I thought that I would never laugh again. I was so wrong. With hearts fully embracing worship, we all (even this Dad) once again discovered what a difference Jesus Christ can make,  even in life’s darkest moments.  Maybe especially in life’s darkest moments.

You should have heard them laugh…