A Cheerful Community

HIGHLIGHT: Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

EXPLAIN: The author speaks of the power of a smile, laughter, and seeing the good in the world around you. They even say that those items, cheerfulness in your heart, is good medicine. There is no allergic response, but the ability to bring health.

There is a dose of reality in the second line. A crushed spirit is devastating. It can dry up our bones ~ the very structure that holds our bodies in position.

APPLY: There are many things that can and will crush spirits and crumbles the structures of our lives. A spouse walks out, the death of a child, the diagnosis presented, the loss of a job,the bills that continue to grow, the letter of rejection, and so much more. These are just a few that I have watched over the last week.

How does someone recover? It is in taking time to laugh. It is found in the comfort of a friend. Taking time to count the things that have gone right or well. Our spirit's are renewed as we read that God is faithful. That the worst in life is not the end of life. Realizing that the tough moments are seasons, just like the good moments.

Cheerfulness is found in community. Remembering we are not alone. Having someone sit with us at the hospital, call us after the breakup, cry with us in the darkness of death. Community will help sustain the cheerfulness, and that medicine will heal our spirits.

RESPONSE: Lord, help me to recognize in the worst of times that the love of your heart, through the hearts of those around me, will bring healing and wholeness to my life.