The Allure of a Joyful Heart

I’m drawn to smiling people, aren’t you? They just pull you in.

I remember one dreary day I went to the post office and there was a long line. Big surprise, huh? But one woman changed the atmosphere of the whole room. She positively glowed. She chatted with the postal worker while he weighed her package, and her joyful laughter filtered through the room like magic dust. As she left she looked around as if blessing each of us with her gaze and I suddenly felt at peace about the wait. 

On the day of the full eclipse, I gathered with a group of people in front of the YMCA. Most of us didn’t know each other, but we shared a sudden camaraderie as we witnessed this once in a lifetime event. We alternately gazed at the changing light through eclipse glasses, and sharing our delight with one another. We might not have sought one another out on a normal day, but awe of nature drew us together. 

Children do this to us too. Their uninhibited antics and joy in the simple pleasures of life lighten our mood, and make us laugh. Which is good for heart, lungs, soul, and healing to the bones.  

Ann Voskamp found healing from years of grief by choosing to look for and record 1,000 blessings to be joyful about. One of my favorite scenes from her book* is where she gets excited about cheese: 

Her husband came in from a long day on their farm to find her enthusiastically taking pictures of a mound of shredded cheese backlit by the sun. She thought he’d think she was ridiculous to be enamored by such a simple thing, but her joy drew him in. 

“I like finding you like this,” he says.

“Crazy like this?” she says.

“Perfect like this.” He nods toward the cheese plate. “You being all happy in all these little things that God gives. It makes me very happy.”

The allure of a joyful heart.

People who live life joyfully, wonder at the beauty of simple things, and express gratitude for everyday blessings are the most attractive people of all. 

What about believers in Jesus Christ? Do we delight in the miracle of life--the petals of a flower, the taste of real food, the feel of sunshine on our skin? Do we, despite the suffering and trials of this world, still smile, knowing eternity is ours? Do we stop to share a smile like the woman in the post office?  Stand in awe of the power of God on display like those eclipse watchers? Do we rejoice in the beauty of everyday life, like sunlight on grated cheese?

We have more to smile about than anyone on earth. “May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD” (Psa. 68:3-4, NIV). People of God—deeply in love with Jesus, sharing genuine love for others, living with joy and laughter. Sounds pretty attractive to me.

*One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

#whatmakespeoplesmile #letyourlightshine #simplepleasures #smileifyouknowJesus #rejoiceandbeglad #smilemore