A merry heart is good medicine

I wrote the following article for the congregation of a church I served a while back.  
A little judicious editing makes it a message pertinent to many (including you) at this time of year.

A merry heart is good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones!

I have this cartoon on my board at home.  You may remember it: Tom Wilson’s Ziggy is sitting on his stool contemplating:
“I wish I knew the secret of happiness . . .
I’d tell everyone I know!!!”

There are several implications here:
One is that Ziggy can’t keep secrets very well – especially of this magnitude.
Another is that Ziggy does not know the secret of happiness – and no one he knows knows either.
And another is that the secret of happiness is something being sought. 
And, of course, if he tells everyone, it’s no secret any more.  Poor Ziggy.

A downcast spirit dries up the bones.

You know people like this, don’t you? 
Always whining. 
Always griping about something. 
Always ready with a “Yes, but . . .” 
Always looking for the down-side, they always find it. 
For such people, life is not pleasant.

Not knowing the secret to happiness, not only is their demeanor affected, but their physical health and appearance is affected, as well. 
We used to say such people had been sucking persimmons. 
Most often, they know not what they are missing by not knowing happiness.

But, a merry heart is good medicine!

The Royal Philosopher in the book of Proverbs, knew what he was talking about. 
The body of evidence continues to mount proving that positive attitudes like love and laughter are better predictors of good health than any other indicator!
Ben Franklin should have said:
A laugh a day, keeps the doctor away!

Of course, you know the truth of this, don’t you? 
Christ Presbyterian Church is a place where you can recover your smile, exercise your soul, and put meat on your bones. 
If you don’t smile for while during and after our Sunday worship, I feel that I have done something wrong. 
Not only does our laughter produce endorphin building up our immune system, but it also helps us be at one with the universe. 
By laughing, we communicate with the very heart of God.

Perhaps you saw the Inquirer article about area clergy working to help people have merry hearts.  The headline read: Gospel With a Giggle. “A little laughter lifts the spirit – and helps shepherd home the good word.”

A new season begins soon at a church near you. 
Remarkably, by remembering our Creator,
coming with thankful hearts,
knowing our place in the scheme of things,
hearing God’s Word read and explored,
focusing on the needs of others and the glories of the universe,
our worship is a time of refreshment,
a time of refueling,
a time of recreation,
a time of replenishment.

The secret to happiness is found here. 
Let the Ziggys of this world know. 
Let the prune-faces of this world know. 
Let all with downcast spirits know. 
Here is one place they can come to learn about the secret to happiness.