There’s a joke that says if you want to hear God laugh tell [Him] God your plans. I do not like that joke and heartedly disagree with the image it suggests. I do believe we can experience God laughing, but never at us, only with us, as we advance in grace.
Think about this scene of a child is trying to become a toddler. Each attempt to stand is followed a by plop back to the floor. How might the mother respond? If she smiles or laughs, it will be an admiring smile that recognizes her child is growing and learning. And her smile will probably be accompanied with words of encouragement. And she will most likely offer her hand as a sign of let’s try that again. Consider a father who knows his child wants to learn how to ride a bike. He may smile at his child’s insistence to move past the training wheels. He may even secretly hold on to the seat or run beside the moving bike. But he would never laugh at his child’s determination. These are pictures of how God is mother and father to us.
But what kind of God is portrayed when we think that God would laugh at our plans? It is implied that this God, who is, of course, male resides in a distant heaven watching us, his creatures. From this place on high. he keeps track of our good deeds and records our mistakes and errors. Rewards and punishments are promised or guaranteed by this watchful deity, who, we have been told, loves us.
The Need for a Different God Image
If we have the courage to examine this image of the Great Giver of Gifts we might recognize our childhood Santa. As children we obeyed our parents, hoping our good deeds would prove that we deserved Santa’s presents. We were also aware that we could be denied the gifts we wanted if we were “naughty,” not “nice.” As adults we still expect to be rewarded for our obedience and punished when we do wrong. And therefore it follows that we will believe that this all-seeing Santa-God will know what is best for us. Thus, we accept that God has plans for our life.
Rather, the adult believer trusts in the God who is like the mother who encourages us to grow. The adult believer knows God is like the father who supports our determination to try something new. And so the adult believer will never hear God laughing at our plans for the day.
He/She won’t laugh at our plans for the day–but maybe a snicker or 2 when we keep trying to “perfect” our projects, endeavors in order to sincerely come up with something good . . . like He/She always does . . . it just takes us a little longer and maybe with a little prayer for Her help.