When Was the Last Time You Snorted from Laughing?

When was the last time you laughed so hard that you actually snorted?

I found myself thinking about that today as my four-year-old and two of his friends chased each other around the trampoline. They weren't trying to accomplish anything. They weren't worried about tomorrow, wondering what was for dinner, or thinking about the laundry waiting inside. They were simply…playing.

Their laughter echoed across the backyard, and every few seconds one of them would fall over in a fit of giggles before jumping back up to keep the game going. It was simple. It was ordinary.

And yet, it was absolutely beautiful.

Watching them made me wonder: When did we stop allowing ourselves to experience that kind of joy?

Motherhood is a wonderful calling, but it also carries a thousand invisible responsibilities. We are planners, cleaners, chauffeurs, teachers, chefs, nurses, counselors, and peacemakers. Our minds are constantly racing from one task to the next. Somewhere along the way, we often trade childlike delight for endless to-do lists.

But I don't think God intended for us to simply survive motherhood.

He created laughter.

He created friendship.

He created play.

He created joy.

Joy isn't something we earn after we've folded the last load of laundry or crossed everything off our planner. It's a gift that God invites us to receive today—even in the middle of unfinished dishes and toys scattered across the living room floor.

Maybe today looks like laughing with your kids over a silly joke.

Maybe it's lingering outside just a little longer.

Maybe it's jumping on the trampoline yourself.

Life is made up of ordinary moments, and sometimes those ordinary moments become the ones we treasure most.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22, NIV