A Cheerful Heart

There is an old story about a man who sent a floral arrangement to celebrate the grand opening of a good friend’s new business. When the sender arrived at the big celebration, he was shocked to find his flower basket with a card that read, “Rest in Peace.” Furious, he called the florist to complain about the mix-up. The florist said, “Hey, don’t be too upset. Think of it this way. Somewhere in town today, somebody was buried under a sign that read, ‘Good luck in your new location.'”

It’s true that humor is often the best way to deal with an unpleasant situation. Laughter breaks the tension. It eases the pressure and soothes the soul. I’ve never forgotten my friend Roger Kunkel’s advice to me: “Life is so much easier when you can laugh – especially when you can laugh at yourself!” He used to regularly quote the proverb, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.”

I also love Proverbs 15:15: A cheerful heart has a continual feast!

Our prayer today was written by my friend Roger Kunkel. Let us pray: Awesome God, life is so beautiful. Why do we often live in dread of the day ahead, or anesthetized to the magic of the present moment? Show us how to find you in other persons – in the children who skip past us on the sidewalk, in the old man pushing a grocery basket, in the patient waiting in the doctor’s office. Restore us to a sense of passion and caring until we find the right note. Bless us now that we may be a blessing to others as we seek to make this day a masterpiece. In Jesus’ name. Amen.