A Cheerful Heart.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22. I have a confession to make.  I am not generally a cheerful person.  My husband is one of the most positive people I have ever met.  When anything happens in our lives that is, (in my opinion) less than wonderful, my approach is generally to see all the negatives of the situation.  Barry, on the other hand, sees those situations as opportunities for something better.  In the past it has made me so mad.  Invariably he will tell me that I have a choice whether to be unhappy about something or not and my very immature and ego-centric response has been to tell him in no uncertain terms that happiness in not a choice and for him to keep his chipper little attitude to himself; makes me cringe just to confess those words to you.  God has really been working on me about making some changes in my life as this new year begins.  There is something that He is asking me to do with my family that is extremely difficult.  (I intend to post the two verses sometime this week.)  But I have realized over the last two days that It is impossible to do what He is asking if I first do not embrace Proverbs 17:22.

Knowing that I cannot do what He desires without having a complete and total change of heart is daunting.  For so many years I have lived with my emotions and heart directing me to view life a certain way.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that God is telling me that it is time to change that viewpoint and that a “cheerful heart” is a choice.  I know that living life as a pessimist is no longer an option.  I also know that it is not possible for me to become an optimist on my own.  So pray for me.  I’m going to need it.