The first time the angel came to Sarah and told her that she would give birth to a son, she laughed, but it was not the light laughter of amusement. 

"Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, 'After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?'" (Genesis 18:12)

No, this was not amusing. She had been waiting and waiting to be a mother and now it seemed like a lost cause. She knew the science - she simply could not have a child past a certain age. And now three random men come to her tent and tell her that she will have a son. How confusing. I can imagine her saying "don't mess with me, do you know how fragile my heart is?"

But there was one thing she hadn't calculated into the equation, the graciousness of the Lord. "The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised" (Genesis 21:1).  She became pregnant and bore a son in old age, at the very time God had promised.

What things are you waiting for? What change, or "birth" have you longed for and prayed for over and over and have not yet seen come to pass? The end of Covid-19? A change in the way our society treats people of color? A new job? Have you waited so long that your laughter has become incredulous?

There is hope! Sarah's laughter went from bitter to bemused. She did have a son in old age and to mark the occasion, her son was named Isaac "he laughs." Jesus loves to see us laugh because we are once again surprised by joy, surprised by grace, surprised by his goodness.