February 22, 2016

Everyone has someone in their life that is always cheerful, almost to the point you want to smack them once in a while. And although I said sometimes you want to whap them up side the head, they are the kind of people we all need in our lives. Having the gift of cheerfulness is truly a gift.

It doesn’t matter when you have lived in time, whether it was in times of prosperity or depression, in times of good or bad, “dust bowl” or “roaring twenties”, there have always been the cheerful – the truly cheerful people who could always find the good and always felt the need to share their happiness.

I have tried in my life to be cheerful – but it is difficult to always be cheerful. It truly is a gift to be cheerful in all aspects of your life. Cheerfulness is a gift we give to others, and to ourselves. As people who have received an abundance of blessings from God, why shouldn’t we be cheerful? We have every reason to live with joy in our hearts, smiles on our faces, and words of praise on our lips. But life is not that simple — relationships go bad, jobs cause us stress, families face troubles.

Let me end with a quote on cheerfulness that I like:
“Cheerfulness is among the most laudable virtues. It gains you the good will and friendship of others. It blesses those who practice it and those upon whom it is bestowed.” ― B.C. Forbes

I think that says it all.

Pastor Dave