Laughter is Still Good Medicine

We had finally settled on the suitcase we wanted to buy and had made our way to the checkout to make the payment. Having completed this, Linda inquired about where w« went to pick it up. It was that kind of store.

The harried and hurried cashier indifferently mumbled the directions to the loading dock: “Three lef's 'round the building to door number 3.”  Linda, a careful person, slowly and clearly repeated back to him what she had heard: “Okay, three laps around the building to door number 3.”

The instantaneous mental picture of us jogging three times around the giant department store before they’d give us the suitcase had me doubled over with laughter in a second. Then Linda caught it. Out of control, we left with tears running down our faces — and I'm sure everybody was looking at us.

As we drove about for the rest of our errands, that morning, every few minutes one of us would begin to chuckle and then we'd be right back in full scale laughter for another five minutes. We felt fantastic that day. A great healing had taken place.

This insight was not foreign to the Bible. Proverbs says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Ancient wisdom has always seen the connection between a lifted spirit and good health.