A Cheerful Look

A cheerful look brings

joy to the heart,

and good news gives

health to the bones.

Proverbs 15:30  NIV

1980 was an eventful—stressful “health” year in my life; a mixture of the greatest joy with the birth of our youngest son and the deepest anxiety and stress as I awaited news on three separate occasions for the outcome of tumor biopsies.

But, after each opportunity to trust God, there came a smile and good news from the doctor. I remember feeling immediate relief, my muscles relaxed, my shoulders straightened, and the seeming loss of a thousand pounds lifting from my heavy heart. The doctor’s cheerful look and good news erased my doubts and fears and restored joy to my physical body as well as my emotional psyche.

Proverbs 15:13 (HCSB) says, “A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit…” My heart condition shows on my face. So does yours! How about when circumstances are out of your control, when the diagnosis is grave, or when the trauma is too great for your human mind to comprehend? What then?

The answer to that question is one of the most beautiful things about belonging to a body of Christian believers. When tragedy or trauma strikes, when your heavy heart rips the smile from your heart and face, or when it appears that no good thing can possibly come from your circumstance…what then?

Then our Heavenly Father rallies the troops, gathers the encouragers, and provides those cheerful faces and warm hugs (along with casseroles, cakes, and cookies.) That’s when He supplies sitters to sit with you, listeners to listen to you, and prayers to pray for you. That’s when He rejuvenates your hope through a smiling face, warms your heart through a cheerful word, and reminds you that you are not forgotten, forsaken, or forlorn. That is good news that will help restore health to your bones.

If your present circumstance is filled with heartache, it is the perfect time for God to intervene on your behalf. Watch for Him! If you are in a happy place, it is a great time to spread a cheerful look all over your face and warm the hearts of others. When you think there is nothing you can do for someone, remember, a cheerful look brings joy to the heart!

© Joyce Powell