Laughter

Still reading The Meaning is in the Waiting.  Today I read about Sarah laughing when God told her (once again) that she would have a son.  I've always thought her laughter was natural and expected.  Who wouldn't laugh?  I hadn't noticed what Gooder points out -- that part of the laughter is cynical.  Sarah has been told that she will have a son before, and she has been waiting and waiting and waiting.  Who can blame her cynicism?

Later, when confronted about the laughter, she denied it.  God pressed her to admit to the laughter:  "Oh, yes, you did laugh" (Genesis 18:15).  He wants her to claim everything the laughter meant -- the disbelief, the hope, the cynicism.  In claiming those emotions, she would be able to recognize the pure joy of the birth of Isaac -- whose name means laughter in Hebrew.

What emotions do we ignore?  What experiences would God have us claim so that we would recognize the transformation God will bring?

We were talking in our staff retreat today (among other things) about harvesting loss.  God brings goodness out of loss.  What fruit can you harvest from loss?  Can you at least claim the loss so that God can bring goodness from it?

The transformation of Sarah's cynicism to joy didn't shorten her wait.  It didn't erase the years of hoping and impatience.  The good doesn't make the bad go away, but God can do what we think might be impossible, and bring joy.