He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting. (Job 8:21 ESV)
Yet!
It is rumored (falsely) that Eskimos have over a thousand words for snow. Because snow takes many forms, and serves many purposes, Eskimos understand the variety of snows.
Laughter just might be the same sort of thing. There is painful laughter, fearful laughter, worried laughter, giddy laughter, silly laughter, uncontrollable laughter, habitual laughter, reactive laughter, delayed laughter, and my favorite: a belly laugh.
One of Job’s friends correctly promises Job that because God is good, His people will find laughter in the end. Good laughter. Pleasant laughter. Relaxing laughter. Peaceful laughter. Joyful laughter. Unabashed laughter.
Maybe even a belly laugh.
Laughter is coming. The Daily News might be discouraging. Yesterday might have been dark. Our fears might be overwhelming. Our tears might be cutting furrows in our cheeks…
But laughter is coming.
Jesus already paid for it. It is more sure, even, than our expectations of more sorrows.
Laughter is coming.
Our trust that God knows what He is doing might even bring an early smirk today.
Our realization that God’s love, which is so deep that He killed His only-begotten Son for us, brings joyful laughter might even bring an early eye-crinkle today.