Laugher and Prayer

Kids make me laugh. Period. All weekend I've been around my nieces and nephews and they have made me smile, chuckle, giggle and laugh hard more than any time before. I'm not sure what was different about this weekend except that I've been a little stressed and sad lately so maybe laughing is exactly what I need. As I think back on the past few days I still laugh out loud at the memories of sweet kiddos being locked in a bathroom stall, eating candy off a public floor, the 2 year old taking money out of my wallet and giving it to the Dairy Queen cashier, saying "chee" (cheese....she loves cheese) or the wooden sword that was made with red paint on the end to make it look like blood (only a boy would think of that).

And then there's the baby that now claps. (He holds one tiny hand still and hits it with the other hand.) Who grins at you whenever you look his way. Who has a different colored spot in his eye just like his aunt. How can a child make a sad heart a little more glad?

I was reminded this weekend that God delights in me despite my wayward heart. How can I stray from a God Who loves me so? How can I be so selfish and He be so merciful?

I heard this morning a sermon that showed me I am quite like Peter in that I have a "weapon" (his was a sword...mine are my words or my ways) that I quickly use simply because I have it, not waiting for the right time, the proper time. Weapons are not bad in and of themselves and are to be used with love. I don't always do that. I, like Peter, see an injustice or a situation that isn't going like I think it should and wield my weapon cutting another down in a way that cannot be repaired unless God intervenes. As my pastor said, we must pray ourselves up so that we don't overreact. Such sobering thoughts as I remember how I like to speak first and think later.

And it's time to start back a new week which means back to work, back to stress. Maybe I ought to pray.