Treasures Found in Him

We've all heard the quote "Laughter is the best medicine."  Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." 

I've been told many times that my husband always has a smile on his face.  And, he most always does!  I often get irritated with him because all he seems to be able to do is 'joke around.'  His famous line to me is, "I'm just messin' with ya."  Seriously...having a 'grown-up' conversation with him is sometimes impossible!

All that said...I thoroughly believe that laughter is a medicine.  And I think it is also important to laugh at ourselves!  We need to not take our shortcomings and failures so seriously.  Think about it...not only have WE messed up many, many times...but everyone we know has also made mistakes or failed at something...most likely more than once!  If you know someone that has NEVER messed up...well, let's just say you don't know them very well.

See...we ALL mess up.  We ALL have at one time or another.  We ALL will mess up again in the future.

Does that mean we should quit trying?  Of course not!  We should try to not make the same mistake over and over.  We should always keep a mental 'list' of mistakes we've made and let them be lessons for us.  Doing this will help us to not make the same mistakes over and over.  We need to try to improve.

Part of improving is to learn to laugh.  We need to be able to laugh at ourself.  Just the other day I was stopped by a Highway Patrol officer.  I wasn't speeding and I honestly didn't know why he stopped me.  Come to find out, I had failed to use my turn signal when I made a turn.  Duh!  I ALWAYS use my turn signal...however, on this particular day...for whateve reason, I did not use it.  I couldn't believe he stopped me for that, but THAT is his job.  Well, he ended up giving me only a warning and not a ticket.  Once he left me and I went about my business, the first thought I had was Thank You, Jesus!  Then I couldn't help but laugh.  How stupid was I for not using my signal?  Honestly...I almost NEVER don't use it.  It is a pet peeve of mine & my hubby's...people who don't use their signal or use it as they turn.  I have even said they should just make the turn signal an option on cars!  (Of course I do not mean that...I know they are important!)  I was very thankful that the officer didn't give me a ticket but laugh...yes, I laughed.  And, since that day...I have made certain to use my signal EVERY time!!! (*smiles*)

I like to read my Scriptures in several versions to make sure I understand them.  And I think that Proverbs 17:22 is pretty easy to understand in the KJV & the NIV.  But I read it in the CEV and this is what is says, "If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over."

I love this vers in the CEV.  It is absolutely the truth.  No matter what the situation you are in, if you can laugh...if you can see one eensy, teensy bit of good in it...you will feel better.  If you let the 'bad' rule the situation...you are going to be in pain...and honestly, so will those around you.

Learn to laugh, my friends.  Learn to laugh at yourself.  When something unpleasant happens...laugh.  No, laughing won't make the situation better but what does frowning or fussing about it do?  NOTHING!  If you can laugh in an unpleasant situation...you will find that perhaps the situation isn't truly as bad as you thought.  You may even gain some perspective and insight on the situation...all because you laughed!

No, laughter won't change the situation, but it can and will change the people in the situation.

Walking the walk & talking the talk,

**KJV=King James Version / **NIV=New International Version / **CEV=Contemporary Version