Be of Good Cheer!

Not long ago, I was feeling a little down... Rainy days do that to me. (And we've had plenty of those the past few weeks...) Perhaps it was realizing that summer was over - days were getting shorter - and my period of winter "hibernation" indoors was soon to begin.

Then the words BE OF GOOD CHEER popped into my mind. Where do they come from? The Bible, perhaps? I did a quick google search (What would I do without Google?!) and discovered - according to one reference - that this expression appears 7 times in the Bible, always during times of adversity. The expression is found in other quotes as well. The website, Thinkexist.com, - lists some by Helen Keller, Bill Clinton and others.














So I wrote BE OF GOOD CHEER down on a scrap of paper and put it beside my "reading chair" - the place where I have my first cup of coffee in the morning, as I read and reflect on my day.

Is it possible that I can choose to be cheerful and optimistic? It seems to be the case - because when I look at my little reminder, I smile. I want to be happy because - whatever the weather outside - I contribute to the indoor climate of my home... I live here... so I want it to be a pleasant, cheerful place.

Are happiness (and grumpiness) attitudes I can cultivate by choice?

I can't think of any place in the Bible where God commands us to be sad... And the beauty of nature (even in the rain!) usually fills me with amazement, not sadness - if I stop to think about it. Problems at times overwhelm me, but I can be sad even when things are going right! And if they're not... God reminds us (in the Old Testament book of Exodus) that He can make paths through the sea and create springs of water - to satisfy thousands - in the desert, figuratively as well as literally...

Sometimes I'm unhappy when nothing is going wrong! All I need for my mood to change is for my husband to remind me to Count my blessings!

Maybe that's it - to be cheerful I need to look up, beyond myself. Then do something that gives me joy - like bake a cake - and perhaps share its deliciousness with someone else!

And then there's the choice component of it... Perhaps cheerfulness - like peace - sometimes requires a little effort! ... Especially in the rain!