Presenting CHEERFULNESS!

I noticed last night, as I went through the house checking for locked doors and turning off light switches, that I just can’t help but to smile whenever I look upon a picture of my late wife.

I first became aware of the unplanned action when I reached up above my favorite 16X20 framed outdoor portrait of Piper, that I took at a local park 2 months before our wedding.  She was wearing an older pair of jean cutoffs and a new blouse that my mother had recently given her… and looked like a million bucks!  As I pulled the cord to turn off the light on my Chevrolet themed clock above the picture in my study, I paused and stood there, staring at her sweet pose, and broke out into a large smile!

From there I stepped into the adjoining hallway, reached for the thermostat and once again, smiled as I unintendedly looked over at an old extended family enlargement from 1976 that is hanging in the hallway, along with many other family pictures… Then I walked into the living room where there are photos of a young Piper hanging next to the big screen TV on one side and on the other side of the room, above the piano, a whole array of mainly vacation and special events pictures of which Piper’s smile… as usual… takes the center stage.

And as I left the darkened rooms behind me, with a huge smile encompassing my countenance, I was greeted by the dog laying comfortably on my bed and… you guessed it… an eclectic collection of Piper’s pictures on the wall above my nightstand.

At that… I confess… it was difficult to contain the CHEERFUL laughter that was bubbling up inside of me!  So, I sat on the bed next to the dog and enjoyed the moment.  I imagine you could guess what or of WHOM I dreamed about that night!

In thinking about that experience this morning, I recalled a recent scripture that I had been looking at from Proverbs 15:13 that seemed to perfectly explain my reactions to Piper’s pictures.  According to The Message Bible, King Solomon declared,

“A CHEERFUL heart brings a smile to your face; (but) a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.”

Well… that was one of those all familiar “Duh!” moments for me!  If anyone in this world had a CHEEFUL heart, it was her!  In the Greek translation of this verse, the word “CHEERFUL (or glad)” means “to put into a good frame of mind and/or to rejoice.”  Piper most definitely had a “glass half FULL” attitude in everything she did.  It was almost impossible to find her in anything but a “good frame of mind.”  And that “good frame of mind” radiated off of her and tended to encourage the people around her to catch her joyful and hopeful attitude.  Thayer’s Greek Definitions also defines CHEERFUL as “to be delighted in a thing.”  

At the heart of most everything Piper did, was her DELIGHT (ie; trust) in the Lord and the truth of His Word.  And that DELIGHT oozed off of her and tended to infect anyone who spent time with her!

Solomon further adds to the importance of his statement, a couple of verses later in Proverbs 15:15 by telling us that,

“Every day is a terrible day for a miserable person, but a CHEERFUL HEART has a continual feast.” (God’s Word ©)

It is interesting here, that a different Hebrew word is used for the translation to our word ‘CHEERFUL.’  In this particular usage, having a CHEERFUL HEART is described as having a heart or attitude that is, “pleasant, agreeable, valuable in estimation, appropriate, becoming and benign.”  And a peek into the Oxford Online Dictionaries informs us that a ‘benign’ heart or attitude is one that sets “a climate or environment that is mild and favorable.”

As I meditated on that definition of ‘benign’ a little later on, while putting together the dog’s breakfast, I had a stirring inspiration that caused me to suddenly stop what I was doing (to the noticeable displeasure of the dog standing at my feet..) and I looked at the dog and declared:

“CHEERFULNESS is not only the RIGHT and APPROPIATE thing to do, and/or live our daily lives… but it is also a honored DIRECTIVE of the Lord indicating how HE wants each of us to live our daily lives!”

In our dire time of need, Piper and I experienced many individuals who did not do and say the APPROPRIATE actions and words while in our presence.  Instead of being an encouragement to us, they instead, chose to be sad and depressed and thereby emit negative pressure into the climate or environment of FAITH that we were attempting to build around us.

No matter what personal emotions or circumstances she was dealing with, at any given time, Piper always made a point to have her CHEERFUL countenance to present a positive influence into the lives and needs of the people she cared for.  She’d even go out of her way in the store to CHEERFULLY encourage other shoppers who looked like they needed a pick-me-up or friendly smile!

I believe that this is one of the all-important lessons that God would want us to learn and put into practice in this New Year of 2023.  And while it may not always be easy to smile in the face of another’s need, the results are far more rewarding than keeping on a “GRUMP” and ignoring the hurting world (or family) around each of us!  Proverbs 17:22 even goes so far as to tell us that “A joyful, CHEERFUL heart is a good medicine!” (God’s Word ©)

So, while your smile and the uplifting and encouraging atmosphere that you bring into someone else’s life is helpful to them… it can also be a good medicine to bring healing to whatever need you may be personally dealing with!

It’s a WIN – WIN situation!

Have a terrific weekend, and as you do… keep CHEERFULLY EXPECTING to GIVE and GET God’s BEST for others as well as for yourself!