I Want a Happy Face

“A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.” Proverbs 15:13 The Message Bible

It’s a rare occasion that my 2 year old grandbaby gets to eat McDonalds, in fact this was my first time taking her to McDonalds for anything other than a fruit yogurt parfait. You know how most kids know those golden arches from 10 feet away? Lyric does not, but I will tell you what was funny on this day that we drove up to the drive through window. I asked my grandbaby what she wanted and Lyric loudly said, “Nana, I want a Happy Face!” I laughed and said, “you mean a Happy Meal right?” She strongly replied, “no! I want a Happy Face!”

I laughed but it really got me to thinking how “on it” kids really are…I mean, who doesn’t want a happy face? We want a happy face to greet us at business establishments, we want to walk into work and see happy faces, we want to see happy faces at church, school, grocery store, at home, etc… Most importantly, we want to have a happy face. Proverbs 15:13 came to mind and I particularly liked The Message Bible version, “A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.” It seems to break down what is really behind a truly happy face. It’s the condition of your heart. I know my heart has faced many a sad day and no matter how much I tried to smile it away, those who really knew me could see that I was not happy and my heart was sad. How many of you know that a sad heart indeed makes it hard to get through the day?

The King James version says, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”  A broken Spirit is what we encounter when someone is nasty to you at the checkout, on the phone, in traffic. Which is why Proverbs 16:24 says, “Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Our reply to “nasty people” should always be a kind word…give em something sweet to chew on so to speak. They may not get it until you are long gone but you will have planted the seed.

Words have the power to heal a heart which in turn makes for a happy face. Even when we have to use words to encourage ourselves. So let’s use words to uplift, let’s turn to God to heal our hearts and present happy faces to the world.

Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers and one happy face brightened the entire room and made you feel welcomed? Never underestimate the power we possess in a simple upward curvature of our lips. It has been know to make someone’s day…even save a life. So SMILE with your  and demand a Happy Face!

Filed under: Life, Spiritual