A Happy Heart is Good Medicine
John Osborne
This past week Jody and I went to one of our Oikochurch homes for a game night. We had a simple barbecue with hot dogs, chips, and a few sides. We played Settlers of Catan. I got killed the first game and came up short in the second game – still losing. However, we laughed and laughed and laughed. The hosts are a riot. That was a Friday night.
The following Sunday night we had a Re|Engage Leaders Meal. Not a meeting, just a meal (tacos and dessert) and fellowship. The guys actually went to one room while the ladies to another and we simply shared life. Again we laughed.
And then on Monday night another one of our Oikochurches hosted a Seahawks watch party. Of course, you guessed it, there was food, fellowship and laughter.
As I have reflected on this past year, it has been full of a lot of heavy scenarios and topics. Of course so much of it has been tied to COVID, politics, the unknown, and that is not to say anything concerning personal challenges each one of us have faced. For me, one of those aspects has been dealing with my aging parents. My dad has had Parkinson’s for about five years and recently he went into the hospital for over two months. He is home now with outside help coming in to help assist every day. That is a part of my story, but you have yours. I do not tell you mine to highlight it – it’s just life. None of us are absent of challenges.
Going back to the game night, the Re|Engage meal and an Oikos Seahawks party. We laughed and laughed and laughed with several members of our Oikos. I’m reminded of Proverbs 17:22. One translation says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Another translation makes reference to a “cheerful heart.” The Amplified renders it this way, “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing.” And finally, the Message paraphrase gives us this, “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.”
All that said, life is prone to be heavy. There are personal challenges, broad news stories, and opinions in regards to everything we face in life. We cannot live with our heads in the sand and deny reality, yet we have to keep in mind the value of a good laugh with our Oikos. Often times this takes place around food. And as a reminder, one of the aspects of our BLESS acronym is Eat with your Oikos.
This week, you may want to plan a party. Keep it simple! Don’t make it another stressor! But play some games, watch a game or simply eat some food. Enjoy some fellowship with some food and laughter. You may just find Proverbs 17:22 to ring true for you as well.