Adapted from an acrticle by Pastor Phil Pringle 

Smile. Be enthusiastic about the people you meet. Be positive about their life. Be glad you’ve met them. Ancient Chinese proverb says, ‘Man without smiling face should not open shop’.

The Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph recently hosted an article on laughter. In indicated, ‘Hundreds of medical research papers have shown that fun keeps you fit’.

A good old guffaw acts as a sort of internal aerobics, working the muscles of the heart and upper body, stimulating the nerves and improving the way the body uses oxygen.

Laughter lowers blood pressure and massages the heart, lungs and other vital organs. A baby’s first chuckle emerges around 3 months. By age six, it laughs about 300 times a day, by adulthood, around 47 times a day
- 100 for the most cheerful.

Laughter triggers the release of an antibody called immunoglobin A, which boosts the immune system. Even if you do become ill, a good chuckle speeds the healing process. People so serious about cholesterol levels, strict diets, and a seriously healthier lifestyle would do better to have a bit more fun and laugh a whole lot more alongside of living healthier.

Dr. Renshaw, associate to Ben Holden, who set up a National Health Service Laughter Clinic in 1991 (in Britain), also says, ‘The people who live the longest and stay healthiest are those who are the happiest and most creative’.

A Mr. Norman was suffering from an incurable disease and to brighten his days began watching Marx Brothers movies. The pleasure of one film gave him two pain free hours of sleep. He checked himself out of the hospital room into a hotel room where he laughed himself back to health.

Women smile more than men, especially when they are doing the talking.

Women laugh a lot more than men when talking to another person.

Playfulness is an art never to be lost. It is said we do not stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.

If others are laughing, laugh along with them. Let it catch you. Get infected.

Although the article claimed Norman Cousins as the pioneer of mirth as medicine, the Bible has always contained the verse; Prov 17:22 A merry heart does good, like a medicine. But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Even the Middle Ages mystic Francis of Assisi, who is invariably portrayed as a serious minded devotee, sees the value of mirth; ‘When we who are servants of Christ stand in the centre of the Devil’s cloud of doubt and accusation and instead of breathing this choking dust refresh ourselves in the water of God’s joy until it overflows even in holy laughter - then not a single demon can harm us in any way’.

Postponing joy until something happens to justify happiness guarantees a miserable life.

• We can smile when we meet people.
• We can smile when we answer the phone.
• We can smile when we stand on a stage.
• We can smile when we write a letter.
• We can smile at our mistakes.

We’ve rid ourselves of the frown. The frown is the reflection of a condemning attitude and it attracts no one at all, except the devil. Remember that awe are relaxing when we smile. It takes less facial muscles to smile than to frown. Every time we smile we’re etching happy lines on our faces. Let’s grow old with these lines of joy rather than lines of grief revealing too much of a miserable life.

Prov 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.

A smile says,
‘I like you.
You make me happy.
I am glad to see you’.

I think this is the reason so many of us keep dogs. They are so glad to see us, we become glad to see them - even though they stink, drop hair, cost money for food and vets and don’t really do anything constructive around the home except excavation. In spite of all this we continue to keep them for the glad, happy welcome they give every time we come home; that uncomplicated smiling company that only a dog can give.