Laughter is The Best Medicine

Proverbs 15:13 A happy heart makes the heart cheerful, but heart ache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

There are many things that are contagious. If you hang around with someone who has a cold or flu, chances are you will come down with those symptoms. It's not that we want to share our "germs" with those around us but it happens. While there are illnesses that may be contagious, I have found that moods can be contagious as well. I had a family member who was very rarely in a "good" mood. She complained about everything and everyone. She rarely found joy in anything or anyone. After a visit with her you found yourself moody and grouchy. It was contagious too, just like "germs" due to an illness. I guess in a way this too was illness...that of a hard and ungrateful heart. Most often these are the people we have a difficult time hanging around with. Like the verses say, this tends to crush the spirit and dry up the bones. I love the two verses above from Proverbs. And I find these verses to be so true! I'm not suggesting that we should all go around laughing all the time and never be serious, but smiles and laughter go a long way. As believers in Christ, we have so much to be cheerful and smiling about. I have the privilege of working with one of the most joyful people I have ever known. This man always has a smile to greet you with. He loves to tell silly jokes that make you laugh. Maybe it's not the joke itself that is so funny but you just can't help laughing because it is shared with so much joy and sunshine. His life isn't a bed of roses, he is in pain most of the time as his hands are bent from arthritis. Yet, he can't hold his joy inside and it spills onto everyone he meets. I call him Happy Feet. His joy comes from the Lord. It naturally flows from the joy of his salvation.

Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.

He simply can't contain himself! And you know... that joy is contagious as well. Wouldn't it be wonderful for us all to be contagious with the joy of the Lord? That others would want to be in our company because of the joy that naturally flows from our hearts? I pray that each of us would catch this "bug" and pass it along to all we meet. Psalm 126:3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and one granddaughter! She serves at America's Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 139
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!

Monday and Tuesday's Victory Calls were not sent out, however, they are available on the website. Go to www.americaskeswick.org and click on "blogs" in the upper right of the screeen.