Finding Humor In Everyday Life

“Psst… check your phone,” my husband whispered to me.

We had been watching our teenage son play with his jazz band for a local band competition.

I hesitantly checked my phone and read his text, in which he poked fun of our beloved son and his band. I snickered to myself as I put my phone away, giving my husband a “good one” nod, and then went back to being my normal, actively supportive mom-self.

The band played on, and with every flat squeak, toot, and honk, that text played in my mind. I started to chuckle to myself more and more. We were five rows back from the judges and surrounded by adoring parents, some recording the entire 10-minute song on video. They were all appropriately composed and here I was with a worsening case of the giggles.

At this point the text was irrelevant. I was laughing like it was an incurable disease. I felt like I did when I was a kid at the dinner table, when my sisters and I would say or do something ridiculous and I would almost pee-my-pants laugh so hard that I would get kicked out of the table. I definitely deserved it.

Now it was gut level, full-body shaking, tears-forcing-their-way-out-of-my-impossible-to-open-eyes-laughter. (I did keep the noises in, for the record.) I really truly tried to get it together. Eventually, I mustered up every bit of composure I could find, and as the band finished their tune, I joined in applause and discreetly exited the scene.

As shameful as my behavior was, I also felt surprisingly GREAT! Great like you feel when you’re about to go on a vacation. Or when you snuggle up in your bed, and the sheets were just cleaned, and you know you get to sleep in late the next day, and there’s a cool evening breeze, and you just got paid, and your kids are all asleep, and… you get the idea!

We were made by a joyful Creator to love to laugh. If we were made in the image of God, God certainly also laughs. Sometimes I imagine Him nudging the angels, laughing at me as they watch my “doing-the-dishes” dances. The Lord values laughter so much, that many have experienced His presence through holy laughter. I have experienced it a few times in my life and have felt changed, renewed on the inside, and filled with the love and joy of the Lord. If you’ve never experienced this, ask for it. Jesus loves giving joy.

The Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is my strength!” The Israelites were going through a rough time (as they often were), and here they were, exhorted to dwell not on their circumstances, but on the joy that comes only from the Lord. There is a time to cry, of course, but also a time to laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

If you find it hard to laugh or have joy in the season you are currently in, you might try a simple prayer for help. It might sound like, “Lord, I need Your joy to give me strength. Help me find joy and laughter in this day.”

I remember when I had chicken pox as a child my family put on a puppet show to make me feel better. Back then, I was convinced the puppet show cured me. Now, I see it was the truth of the verse in Proverbs 17:22, which says, “A cheerful heart does good, like medicine.” Many scientific studies have confirmed this Word of the Lord, proving the physical benefits of laughing. Here are just a few effects laughter has on the human body:

• lowers blood pressure

• decreases stress

• fights depression and anxiety

• boosts immune system

• improves circulation

• releases feel-good endorphins

• brings the body to a state of relaxation

• extends overall life expectancy

On the contrary, a life without joy and laughter does all the opposite. So how do we stress less and laugh more? Here are four ways to find humor in everyday life:

1. Become like a child. How many of us have forgotten the wonder, creativity, and freedom of being a child? Can I give you permission to lay down your adult-ness every once in a while and be like a child again? Go roll down a hill, dance around your house like a crazy lady, or buy an ice cream cone and lick that thing with such tenacity that it gets all over your face.

2. Don’t take yourself so seriously. If you spill coffee on your shirt on your way to work, look yourself in the mirror and make the most ridiculous face you can. Try not to laugh. Seriously, it works. Or maybe your washing machine breaks and that very night your kid pukes all over every layer of bedding they own (true story). You could fall apart in horror, or you could find the humor in it. And if you can’t find the humor because you’re too busy gagging, “fake it ‘til you feel it.” Yes, give that situation your best fake laugh, and try not to let it turn into a real laugh. Embrace the crazy! HA! HAHAHAHAHA!

3. Find the Funny. There are obvious sources of Funny: comedians, shows, movies, or maybe a YouTube channel or influencer strikes your funny bone. Double the Funny by sharing your experience with someone who also enjoys laughing. Laughter is contagious, so expose yourself to it!

4. Hang out with joyful people. As Mother always says, “You become like who you hang around.” Find friends you can be silly with. Joy and laughter have always been a big part of my life. In fact, my middle name is “Joy.” The thing that attracted me the most to my husband was that he made me laugh so much. (See the top of this blog post for evidence). When I was praying about whether the Lord would have us married, the Lord prompted me to look up the meaning of his middle name. His middle name is “Edward,” which means “guardian of happiness.” The Lord knew I needed a best friend who would guard my joy. Who in your life keeps you joyful? Keep them close!

Laughter makes memories.

I will probably never forget my son’s first jazz band competition. I will also never forget those healing puppet shows, or family movie nights with my husband and kids where we all laugh ourselves silly. If God holds our tears in a bottle, does He hold our laughter too? Are these laughs kept in Heaven’s great jokebook? I think if anything, the Lord takes great delight in seeing His children full of joy. So, if you’re feeling blue and don’t know what to do, remember that humor is important too.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Proverbs 31:25 NLT