Hannah Zachman
About the Author

Hannah is a nursing student at the University of Virginia with a heart to echo the glory of God in word and deed.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Three days ago I came home from the hospital. My situation wasn’t a serious one, but rather a lesson given to me from above. It was hard. It was embarrassing. It was more than I could handle. But the best of the best was the friendly humor. Silly quips and humorous messages from many who helped me , who understood. My times of seriousness may be less. My times of silliness may be restored. Thank you for this message from your heart. It was a warm welcome on this early Satutday morning.

    • I have been struggling with illnesses that only God can heal…Lyme & Parkinson disease. I recently fell 3 times on the same side & fractured my shoulder which is very painful. The doctor told me he was unable to operate on my shoulder because he didn’t want to put me though this operation thinking that I might fall again & reinjure myself…so I am under 24/7 care. I am so depressed & afraid I will fall again. l have nightmares of the falls…I always believed that l have personal angels to protect me so l would not fall (Psalm 91:11) but l did. And also” Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from them all, He guards their bones their bones & not one of them will be broken”but l did….soo it is hard for me right now to be joyfull & be silly (which l really would like to be) l have been entertaining the thought of ending my life. BUT I know that would deeply sadden my Heavenly Father & my dear family. And l am sure my heavenly home would be closed if l took my own life; so if you could give me some hope here ; would be very grateful…l am sick of living this way.

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      • Hi Beth! Wow that is a lot. I can’t say I’ve been there, but I’ve cared for others who are walking through those valleys of desperation and sickness. I’m praying for you by name this evening that God would surprise you with His grace. I pray that He would strengthen you in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16), that you would not lose heart, and that God would renew your spirit daily (2 Corinthians 4:16). I plead with you for physical healing, even as I ask God to increase your faith and hope in Him regardless of circumstances. You are heard and seen by Him. (The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. ~Psalm 34:18)!

      • Beth, God knows you,he loves you and he is for you. He is on your side! Please lean into him. Prayers are going up for you.
        Gods blessings, Danya

      • Sweet Beth,
        In times like these, remember that Jesus felt despair in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He thought of you, and prayed for the Father’s will! Even in the cross, He was thinking of you!! You are the apple of His eye, valued and treasured beyond any measure you can imagine! Hallelujah! Now, that’s a reason for not and silliness! Dear sister, He sees us and hears our prayers, and I’m lifting you to Him.

      • Sweet Beth,

        Prayers for God to bring some healing to you. May you feel His loving arms surround you and bring some peace and joy to your life. I have felt some of the same feelings. It took a while, but eventually God brought me out of the despair and into the light. God can and will heal you in His perfect time. Blessings to you sweet friend!!

        Blessings 🙂

        • Thank you for caring enough to respond to my desperate comments. I just have hard time being helpless. My poor husband (who is like Jesus in the flesh to me) is my main helper. He deserves better than a wife that is a burden to him. 0 well, I need surrender it all. And get my faith & trust increased. Blessings

    • Thank you for your vulnerability and kind words! As a future nurse, my heart beats fast for those who must spend any bit of life in the hospital. What a blessing it is that silliness can exist even in life’s hardest, most unwelcome moments. In fact, it is then when we need it most!

  2. Hannah….Thank you for the reminder that there is so much more in life than to-do lists. I once had a teacher of dance tell the class to never let the child in you die. When he said that, I realized I had always felt as though I had moved from a 5 year old to an adult, always serious, responsible but never experiencing those free child moments. The Lord has blessed me with two grandsons, and when I am with them it’s easy to experience that joy of a child. He does desire to breathe life into these dry, tired souls! His joy is our strength. Blessings.

  3. Hannah, I just had to smile and identify with your character profile. I have lists for everything and have always struggled to let go and “roll on the floor”. Romans 8:11 is my life verse, yet I have never thought of it as the source of giggles and glory! I am ready to think again about that kind of life-giving power! The Weight of Glory is now on my book list! Oops, did I just say “list”? LOL! It’s time to do just that—LOL! Glory and giggles is my new mantra! Thank you, C. S. Lewis. Thank you, kindred spirit Hannah!

    • Glory & giggles! Yes! “The Weight of Glory” is an excellent essay. It’s brief, but chock full of mind-boggling reflections of glory and some witty humor from Lewis; definitely one of my all time favorites!

  4. Hannah, I sooo much appreciate what you are saying, and thank you for it!! I too am the eldest child, and that came with its weight of expectation, experimentation (in the sense that my dear parents had never parented before and so they, though very loving, were stricter with me), and my own perfectionism. I worked hard in school (and in accelerated programs) which pretty much robbed me of much normal childhood play. I do love to have fun, but sometimes my serious side can get the better of me. Just this past Thursday I facilitated the first session of my new journaling class, and the subject is play (which also is strongly linked to happiness). It amazed me how much fun and delight the women had, and how easily they gravitated to play. A couple struggled, realizing they needed to give themselves permission to do so. But by the end of the course, I’m very hopeful that they will! 🙂 I really appreciate the CS Lewis quote and will use it in the class. Thank you! For the past nine months, I have bathed myself in books that either spoke of play or happiness. They were amazingly biblical. You might want to check them out since you are in a reading mood! 🙂 Randy Alcorn’s Happiness (nearly 500 pages of happiness!), Gary Thomas’s Pure Pleasure, Laura Boggess’s Playdates with God, Hannah Whitalk Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Thomas Kincaide’s Lightposts for Living, the classic child’s book (with much adult wisdom) Antoine de St. Exupery’s The Little Prince, and Sue Ellen Cooper’s The Red Hat Society (I didn’t know there was a whole book about it–she’s a Christian but doesn’t talk about it)–to name some. Marvelous author Jennifer Dukes Lee has a new book, The Happiness Dare, soon to be released. Happiness is in the air, and like you, I struggled with the productivity mindset that says life is too short to be silly . . . or happy . . . or playful. But frankly, life is too short not to be. Being happy, playful, and joyful are sacred acts, as we emulate the One who created them, and in whose image we are made. This world is a harsh place. We will all suffer (and it seems that more and more, people are). It’s hardly that we ignore it and don’t weep with those who weep. We don’t deny it, but we defy it, and realize that Jesus sets us free to be joyful despite it. I am sooooo glad that you shared today, Hannah! Indeed silliness is sacred, and I think we can take that seriously!
    Happily,
    Lynn Morrissey

  5. Oh, how I love this! I’ve been learning this truth.mite and more as a mother and friend… to enjoy the moments of “now” with connection and joy! Watch that silly movie, sing loudly at times even if off key, wear that purple dress with large flowers, kick that soccer ball with my son, send ridiculous emojis to your friends to put that smile on both your faces! Smile MORE nor less with the knowing we are loved beyond measure and at the end of the day… and out lives it’s how much we have loved that matters anyway.

    Thank you for this! Wonderful post! ❤️

  6. Oh, how I love this! I’ve been learning this truth.more and more as a mother and friend… to enjoy the moments of “now” with connection and joy! Watch that silly movie, sing loudly at times even if off key, wear that purple dress with large flowers, kick that soccer ball with my son, send ridiculous emojis to your friends to put that smile on both your faces! Smile MORE nor less with the knowing we are loved beyond measure and at the end of the day… and at the end of our lives here on Earth, it’s how much we have loved that matters anyway.

    Thank you for this! Wonderful post! ❤️

  7. I’m the oldest of 3 girls & am the more practical one as well, I want to thank you so very much for your article & thank the Lord for bringing us together! I’ll definitely have to pick up a copy of the C S Lewis book too!!

  8. A kindred spirit alright, what I call fun I suppose some would not. I was the reader, writer and creative one. Health issues hindered me but with that behind me, I really see how I had lost the joy of the Lord. I also let other people who didn’t get steal that joy. Jesus warns us about that. But I do like the C.S. Lewis quote, I think the main line is about people who have taken each other seriously. That was part of my problem, I was often not taken seriously and then there are times I just take myself too seriously which causes condemnation, that’s certainly not Jesus. This is an inspiring post, God bless your many gifts.

  9. What a timely message! I’ve been hearing from God this week about giving up control, and when I’m being a control freak, I can’t have fun. I think I’m definitely going to make some time for fun today

  10. A wonderful reminder to let loose sometimes! Thank you
    I have an older friend who incorporates fun into her and her husband’s lives, and your message is another nudge for me to take notice and be a little more silly a little more often!!

  11. Dear Hannah, thank you so much for your honest and very beautiful message. So wonderful to hear your honest words and know your thoughts. A VERY encouraging message straight from the heart. Thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement. May God bless you beautiful sister, as you minister to us all through your encouraging message.

  12. Hannah,

    Such wisdom packed into this message. God is into the silly as well as the serious. His first miracle was turning water into wine and keeping the party going. God wants us to rest and enjoy life. We need to embrace the silly as well as the serious. Live life to the fullest!

    Blessings 🙂

  13. There is nothing like laughter. Nothing like sharing a private snicker with a good friend. Nothing like reading a book that makes you smile. Unless, of course, it’s a good long cry. The life-giving effect of emotions cannot be measured – it can only be felt. Thank you, Jesus, for all of them — especially the laughter and giggles…xoxox

  14. Hey Hannah! What a delight to catch a glimpse of your writing in this space. How fun to see your byline under the title. What a wonderful quote to ponder. We often do not think of laughter being a holy activity, and yet we forget that God is the one who created humor and play. Too often we tend to make faith a serious and heavy thing. God tells us to have faith like children. Not only do children believe without explanation and love wholeheartedly, they also giggle with delight and love to play. Blessings, Friend!