Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
“Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?” // Genesis 17:17
I closed the back cover of the encyclical and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A few dozen pages of writing by Pope Saint John Paul II were mulling over in my mind, and I felt God nudging my soul in a way He hadn’t before. I had just earned my degree in broadcast journalism, yet as I closed the small book I felt God calling me to share the message of Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women) with women in a way I did not yet understand.
I had to laugh as I asked the Lord, “I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a journalism degree so you could call me to do something entirely different with my life? Seriously?”
If you want God to laugh, tell Him your plans. Sometimes He tells us His plans, and we laugh right along with Him.
Have you ever laughed (anywhere between a good chuckle and absolute hysterics) when the Lord revealed a plan, a new path, or a plot twist in the story of His plan for you that seemed so unlikely or ridiculous there was no other response you could give? Sometimes we laugh out of disbelief, at times out of joy, and at times because what God has revealed just seems too good to be true. Abraham laughs at God’s plan, and Sarah goes on to laugh also (see Genesis 18:12) at her own disbelief at what the Lord has spoken.
Sister, today I invite you to imagine yourself sitting with the Lord, laughing with joy over His plan for your life. Imagine yourself smiling together as you look back at specific moments of disbelief, the plot twists, and the surprises in your journey of faith and trust He has carried you through. Sit with Him and trust in His faithfulness for the future with a carefree, child-like sense of joy.
Laugh with delight in our God today, knowing He is always making all things work together for good.
Emily Wilson Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic writer at the hand of God. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to women in living a counter-cultural life of joy. She is the author of two children's books, God’s Glorious Girl and God’s Brave Boy and Awaken My Heart, a devotional for women of all ages. Find out more about her here.
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