Proverbs 15:13
One
of the best things you can do when you feel down is to have a good smile. And
when you are feeling really great you need to let your face reflect it. The
face connects our hearts with the outside world. What we do with our face
affects how we feel. Even if we are down, we can raise our spirit by smiling.
Try it! Smile!
And
a smile can raise the mood of those around us. When we see other people
smiling, we feel better ourselves. Don’t you feel better walking into a room
where everyone is smiling, even if you are feeling so happy? I am sure it feels
better than walking into a room filled with angry looking people.
Some
of us have learned that we shouldn’t allow our emotions to show on the outside.
In the past we learned it wasn’t safe to let other people know what we were
feeling, and as a consequence, we hide our feelings, even our happy ones.
Our
proverb also says that when we heartbroken, it affects our spirit. When we are
depressed our spiritual man just doesn’t ‘feel’ like connecting with anyone,
let alone with God. A crushed spirit is one of the loneliest places anyone can
be. Often the crushing comes as a result of a significant loss. And it makes
perfect sense to not be dancing when such a loss occurs. When we lose someone
or something important, it hurts deeply. It cuts to the very center of who we
are as human beings.
It
is in these moments, when we are at our lowest, that we need someone to just
come and be with us, saying nothing. Even if we don’t want anyone around, we
need a silent partner in our suffering. We need to know we are not alone even
if we feel alone.
Notice
that I said, “silent partner.” The last thing we need when we are crushed is
someone giving us advice, someone talking when we need quiet. At points we will
need to talk, so we need someone who will listen. But this is not an
opportunity to let all the words out. Listen.