She Laughed

The book of Genesis is one of my favorite books in the Bible, partly because of the compelling stories but mostly because of the real characters. How can you not feel drawn to people such as Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Joseph who experience tremendous highs and lows in their lives? Then when you add in the fact that God chose this assembly of imperfect individuals to fulfill his plan for humanity, the stories become even more impactful.

Sarah is just such a person. Throughout her life she endured incredible challenges such as moving from her birthplace, traveling to a new land, and enduring a husband who made numerous bad decisions, to name a few. To cap it all off, she was childless in a time and place where, for a woman, this was the ultimate disappointment.

As she approaches the later years of her life, with several failed attempts at solving her barrenness troubles, she overhears her husband in conversation with some strangers. Upon hearing them predict that in a year’s time Sarah would have given birth to a child, in fact, a son who would fulfill God’s promise to the couple that their offspring would be the start of something great, she laughs. I don’t know if any of you readers would react any differently, but I’m pretty sure laughing would be the very least of my reactions. I believe I would likely have been angry after so many disappointments.

I have experienced disappointment several times in my life. The one that comes to mind is waiting to find a teaching job after finishing university. My teaching career began at age 30 so I had several other jobs prior to sensing God’s leading to enter the teaching profession. With all the preparation out of the way, I simply assumed that a teaching job would be waiting for me at the end. No job materialized so I returned to trucking, working long hours with way too much time to think about the wasted time and money obtaining an education. Eventually a job offer arrived and my career began.

How about you? Are you in a period of waiting, anticipating what might come next for you, either positively or negatively? God’s timing is as perfect as his plan for your life, and he’s never surprised by our impatience.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Thank you, God, for your perfect plan for me and for all humanity. It was worth waiting for.

Throughout this Day: Read Genesis 12-18 and be reminded of all that Sarah endured before she had a son of her own. No wonder she laughed.

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