On The Shared Experience of Laughter

*The following is a real letter written to one of my coworkers when I was a summer missionary in college. It speaks to the power of laughter...and it comes with the confession that we would not have made it through the summer had we not been able to laugh together.*

Dear Friend,

I know that I say this to you a lot, but you make me laugh. And I can’t emphasize just how much that laughter means to me.

I have to agree with Madeline L’Engle when she says that "for each one of us there is a special gift, the way in which we may best serve and please the Lord whose love is so overflowing." She goes on to say that "gifts should never be thought of quantitatively. One of the holiest women I have ever known did little with her life in terms of wordly success; her gift was that of bringing laughter with her wherever she went, no matter how dark or grevious the occasion. Wherever she was, holy laughter was present to heal and redeem."

Holy laughter. I’d never before thought of it like that. But I do now. And you’ve taught me that. Because the laughter that you bring is so often Holy--it is so often a gift from God--that comes at just the right moment--and you usually don’t even mean to do it. It’s just your presence and your goofy faces and the inflections of your voice. Those are things that I don’t have but that I praise God that you do. Those are the things that are perfect for working with children--and youth--and adults--and senior citizens--and those who are disabled--everyone. But they don’t work that well if you don’t have the love of Christ with them. And you do.

You’ve really grown a lot this summer. Your thoughts have deepened, your convictions have become stronger, you’ve gained confidence in front of a crowd, your mind has opened, and you’ve learned to love a bit deeper than you’ve loved before. Just watching you has been a blessing for me. Because I see how you are trying to grow closer to God and to let God guide your life, and I see how you are letting your experiences shape you--and others--as you share Jesus with them--through your testimony--that always brings laughter. There is so much substance behind your words, yet you have a powerful way of presenting that substance--you do it through one of the gifts that God gave you--the gift of laughter--the gift that all of us understand and appreciate.

Thank you for sharing your gift with me and for brightening up my summer.

‘He deserves paradise who makes his companions laugh.’ You deserve paradise. I pray that your laughter that comes from within will never die.

In Christ,

D.