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A CHEERFUL LIVER
2 Corinthians 9:7- God loves a cheerful giver.
Mary Ann O'Roark: "As a little girl I heard grown ups repeat a bible verse that I was certain said, "God loveth a cheerful liver." I asked my grandma what a liver was. "It's a part inside you," she told me, "like your stomach or your heart." I puzzled over how to get my insides to be more cheerful. One day in Sunday school an older kid set me straight: "It's giver, not liver." But I don't think I got it all that wrong. God does love a cheerful liver."
John 10:10- I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Brother Andrew tells of being in hospital full of resentment and hatred during the Indonesian war in 1946. Whilst in hospital a bible had been delivered to him.
One day - he writes - I asked the nun who came to bathe me how it was that she and the other sisters were always so cheerful.
"Why, Andrew, you ought to know the answer to that - a good dutch boy like you. It’s the love of christ." When she said it, her eyes sparkled, and I knew without question that for her this was the whole answer, she could have talked all afternoon and said no more."
"But you are teasing me." she said, tapping the well worn little bible where it still lay on the bedside table, "You’ve got the answer right here."
Not long ago there lived an old bed-ridden saint of God, and a Christian lady who visited her always finding her friend to be cheerful. this visitor had a lady friend of great wealth who always took the dark side of things, and was always cast down although she was a professed Christian. She thought it would do this lady good to see this bed-ridden saint, so she took her down to the house. She lived up in the garret, five stories up, and when they had got to the first story the lady drew up her dress and said, "how dark and filthy this is!" "It’s Better Higgher Up," said her friend. They got to the next floor, and it was no better; the lady complained again, but her friend replied, "It’s Better Higher Up," At the third floor it seemed worse, and the lady kept on complaining, but her friend kept on saying, "It’s Better Higher Up," At last they got to the fifth floor, and went into the sickroom , there was a nice carpet on the floor, there were flowering palnts in the window, and little birds were singing. And there they found this bed-ridden saint--one of those saints whom God is polishing for His own temple-just beaming with joy. The lady said to her, "It must be very hard for you to just lie here." She smiled, and said, "It’s Better Higher Up," Yes! And if things go against us, my riends, let us remember that "It’s Better Higher Up."
PEARLS FROM GOD-- COMMUNION MEDITATION
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. With her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That’s almost $2.00 If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday’s only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere -- Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess -- the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my favorite."
"That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That’s okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What’s the matter?" Jenny didn’t say ...
The soul that perpetually overflows with kindness and sympathy will always be cheerful.
Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.
"Cheerful people, the doctors say, resist disease better than the glum ones. In other words, the surly bird catches the germ."
HAIRDO’S AND EGO
A friend of mine who teaches Bible school had her straight hair permed in to a curly style. One morning she noticed that 4 yr. old Jack, who was usually cheerful, looked sad and bewildered. "Is something wrong, Jack?" Jenny asked him.
"Your hair," he mumbled.
"You noticed!" said Jenny. "I just had a permanent and I love it!"
"You do?" whispered Jack. "Have...
The cheerful live longest in years and afterwards in our regards.
"Serenity isnt gray resignation. Its a golden, smiling quality.I pray daily, not to be resigned to old age, not to yield supinely to its limitations, but to accept with a cheerful serenity what remains to me of accomplishment and experience."
