ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, AS I ENTER CHURCH, I AM ALMOST ALWAYS GREETED by Ed who, with a smile from ear to ear, hands me a piece of paper on which are listed some humorous antidotes. I watch as he hands out a copy to several others. I suppose he has selected them with the assurance that they have a sense of humor and will appreciate his offerings, or perhaps he senses that there are some who just need a good laugh to get them through the day.
Ed just turned 90 and I am convinced that his longevity is due in part to his joyful spirit. There is a great deal of scientific evidence out there to support that notion. Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things. Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits. With all this in mind, I say the world needs a lot more Eds, don’t you agree?
And its not as if Ed hasn’t had reason to turn away from his joyful attitude. In just the last couple of years, he’s had open heart surgery and two knees replaced. But still he keeps smiling and laughing. He’s an inspiration and role model to all he comes in contact with.
In spite of bleak and serious surroundings about us, I firmly believe we need a good dose of Solomon’s counsel. Listen to David’s wisest son:
“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:13,15).
A joyful heart is good medicine and causes good healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
Honestly now, how’s your sense of humor? By sense of humor, I’m not referring to distasteful, inappropriate, vulgar jesting, nor foolish and silly talk that is ill-timed, offensive, and tactless. I am referring to the wit that lifts our spirits and lightens our day. Are you, like Ed, spreading cheer germs? Are you infecting folks with them? Those who catch the disease will find their load lighter and their Christianity brighter.
I love that old song by Shay, Fisher, and Goodwin. While it may be secular, it carries a good message for all of us:
When you're smilin'
When you're smilin'
The whole world smiles with you.
And when you're laughin'
When you're laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through.
When you're cryin',
You bring on the rain,
So, stop you're sighin',
Won't you be happy again!
When you're smiling,
Keep on smilin'
And the whole world smiles with you.
Ed just turned 90 and I am convinced that his longevity is due in part to his joyful spirit. There is a great deal of scientific evidence out there to support that notion. Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things. Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits. With all this in mind, I say the world needs a lot more Eds, don’t you agree?
And its not as if Ed hasn’t had reason to turn away from his joyful attitude. In just the last couple of years, he’s had open heart surgery and two knees replaced. But still he keeps smiling and laughing. He’s an inspiration and role model to all he comes in contact with.
In spite of bleak and serious surroundings about us, I firmly believe we need a good dose of Solomon’s counsel. Listen to David’s wisest son:
“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:13,15).
A joyful heart is good medicine and causes good healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
Honestly now, how’s your sense of humor? By sense of humor, I’m not referring to distasteful, inappropriate, vulgar jesting, nor foolish and silly talk that is ill-timed, offensive, and tactless. I am referring to the wit that lifts our spirits and lightens our day. Are you, like Ed, spreading cheer germs? Are you infecting folks with them? Those who catch the disease will find their load lighter and their Christianity brighter.
I love that old song by Shay, Fisher, and Goodwin. While it may be secular, it carries a good message for all of us:
When you're smilin'
When you're smilin'
The whole world smiles with you.
And when you're laughin'
When you're laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through.
When you're cryin',
You bring on the rain,
So, stop you're sighin',
Won't you be happy again!
When you're smiling,
Keep on smilin'
And the whole world smiles with you.
posted by kazookid | 4:57 AM
1 Comments:
Great job! We love our Ed too!
Darlene and David
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