A Happy Heart

Smack dab in the center of my refrigerator door hangs the cutest little piece of art you ever did see. Oh course, I'm a little prejudiced. It was created by my then 7 year old granddaughter, Heather. 

You see, she loves art as much as I do and we enjoy creating together. Even at her tender young age, she's learned the value and power of art to minister to our souls. 

At first glance, you might think her artwork isn't anything special, a few words and a lot of simple, colorful hearts but you'd be extremely wrong. Underneath those shaky primary letters and those multicolored hearts lie a whole lot of love and tenderness. 

When Heather presented me with this artwork, weeks ago, she had no idea how a simple drawing would minister to me on a daily basis. 

To be honest, there have been many days since we last visited that I've struggled. Not only have I had some health challenges but I've also had some down days, which is very unlike me. But the cold, rainy, gray February days and the inability to get outside brought on a tiny bit of depression. 

Usually, whenever I feel a bit of sadness coming on, I yank myself up by the bootstraps and give myself a swift kick in the rear - ain't nobody got time for that, I tell myself, but this time, it wasn't that easy. 

Until...

I walked into the kitchen and saw the most beautiful reminder of joy I'd ever seen. And that little drawing made me smile. 

The Bible doesn't talk much about happiness, but it speaks a whole lot about joy. Read these verses: 

"The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight into living."  Psalm 19:8

"Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths." Psalm 119: 1-3

Those are a couple of very good reasons to choose joy every day, don't you think? 

Maybe you don't have a Heatherbug in your life to make creative works of art for your fridge, but I'm so thankful I do. All of us need to find ways of coping in these tumultuous times and if there's something or someone who can help you remember to seek joy first thing each morning, I hope you focus there. 

Everything doesn't have to be right in your world for you to experience happiness. . If you keep your focus on God and eternity, it is easier to experience joy even in challenging times.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." 

We are not meant to merely make it through life. We are supposed to live life to the fullest. And that means we should be happy and joyful. We aren't supposed to simply be alive in the sense that our heart is beating, and we have breath in our lungs. We are supposed to have a life that we enjoy - an abundant and full life. And the only way to have that is through Christ.