A Most Happy Sound

Wednesday.
A home in Lexington, Kentucky.


Traveling down a hallway, the sound genuinely surprised me.

It was most happy.

But there was so much more behind it ... it was ... an echo of Heaven.

I was visiting a friend's home for lunch with about six other Christian women.

I'd just excused myself to freshen up, when the sound tickled my ears, drowning out the running water from the faucet where I was rinsing soap bubbles from my hands.

Like most believing Christians who gather at a meal, we had just shared a brief prayer before eating. Our leader asked God to bless the food ... and then she said something else that is commonly part of social prayer:

"And please be among us with Your Presence."

We tucked into our sandwiches and salads while sharing stories about children, school calendars and summer plans.

Then a few minutes later, I went down the hallway and shut the door of the powder room ... when the sound came.

Laughter.

Then silence.

Then louder laughter!

Then silence.

Then raucous laughter!

And so on.

The laughter became more and more boisterous. Someone was obviously telling a good story or a great joke, I thought at first.

But then something else hit me.

The laughter was endearing, precious, sweet. It wasn't centered around filthy jokes or gossip at someone else's expense. It wasn't based on political discussion or a judgmental dissection of a group in society.

It was laughter grounded and rooted in the Presence.

We'd asked for His Presence.

And the laughter ... this most happy sound ... was tangible evidence that He was there, sitting among the women at that table.

And He was laughing.

I knew He was laughing with them, enjoying His creations, loving His daughters, lavishing them with His tender and beautiful Spirit.

It was a most happy sound ... a sound of family members whose Father had given all so that they could dwell together, support each other, love each other ...

and laugh.