Laughing at the Impossible

Recently, I read the account of Sarai, the wife of Abram and destined mother of Isaac. Bless her. Her story is filled with some questionable choices, often at Abraham’s suggestion, but she is known for that laugh. You know the one I'm talking about.

Sarai laughed at the promise God made – the promise to bear a son when she and Abram were so advanced in years – and denied it. Honestly though, who could blame her? Abram laughed, too.

Sarai’s laugh though. I think it carried every single question swirling in her mind:

I will be 90 years old.

·       Can I conceive?

·       Can I carry a child to term?

·       Can I endure labor?

·       Can I nurse a child?

·       Will I live long enough to raise the child, or will someone else?

·       Will I see the child marry and have children?

Have you ever waited for a promise to come true and wondered if it’s even possible? Maybe you laugh at the idea because your circumstances do not seem to match the dream. Does your laughter swirl with the same types of questions?

·       Will I really give birth to this?

·       Did I hear God's voice in this?

·       Will I have what I need?

·       Can I endure and see it through?

·       Will I be able to enjoy the outcome, and can I sustain it to maturity?

Take heart. Some things had to happen before Isaac’s arrival, but he did arrive and on time as God promised.

·       Name change: From Sarai to Sarah – no longer just a “household princess”, but destined matriarch of many nations. From Abram to Abraham – no longer “exalted father”, but a father of many nations. The fulfilled promise was greater than the original vision – there was territory expansion.

·       Circumcision: For Abraham, this was a physical sign of covenant in exchange for the covenant that was born of the name change. Every day, we should walk as a new creation with a circumcised heart in covenant relationship with Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

·       Waiting: The delay was a time of preparation and an exercise of enormous faith which deepened their gratitude at the fulfillment. Isaac was worth the wait!

In the end, the barren woman who laughed became the mother of Isaac whose name means laughter. She said in Genesis 21:6:

“God has made me to laugh; all who hear will laugh with me.”

If Abraham and Sarah’s faith ever waivered even for a moment from that day forward, I bet they would see their son, God’s promise in tangible form, and laugh.

Proverbs 31:25 (ESV)

“She is clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs at the days to come.”

Maybe you are wondering if miracles like those in the Bible still happen today. Does God really work in such extraordinary ways now? Scripture tells us that when we look at nature, we can see the attributes of our Creator leaving us with no excuse not to believe.

(Romans 1:20)

Early this year, a Galapagos (guh-LAA-puh-gows) tortoise named Mommy gave birth at 98 years old at the Philadelphia Zoo. The father, Abrazzo (ah-BRAH-tso), whose name means father, was 97.

Their journey was not easy:

• Initial struggles with mating.

• First eggs did not hatch.

• Eventually, four daughters hatched, making Mommy the oldest first-time mother of her species.

This modern-day miracle echoes the biblical account, reminding us that patience, perseverance, and faith can lead to extraordinary outcomes—even when it feels like the answer is “no”.  Whether in the wilds of the Galapagos Islands or the deserts of ancient Canaan, God continues to amaze us! ❤️

I want this kind of faith. I want to walk on the water.