Sharing

May 16

I have made it a rule never to be with a person ten minutes without trying to make him happier. Anonymous

What a lovely thought; what a lovely opportunity—to endeavor to take a measure of happiness to those whose lives touch ours. Some people have ample opportunity to do that through their work, for they provide needed resources to those who would suffer lack without the benefit of the services they provide. The doctors, the teachers, the firemen among us serve continually. They, as Matthew 5:16 admonishes, “Let their light so shine before men that their Father in heaven is glorified.”

Beyond that, there are the ordinary little interactions with people in which a smile, a kind word, can interject a ray of sunshine into a dismal day. Our lives are like candles of hope in the darkness of lives that are within the sphere of our radiance. And ours is not a radiance that emanates from us, for we have no light of our own. But we have chosen to be a reflection of Jesus to the people around us—His grace, His kindness, His faithfulness, His hope, His love—are readily seen in us when we let our lives reflect His light. After all, who but Jesus gives anyone any reason to be happy? (See I Peter 3:15)

Without Him, our moments of happiness are fleeting, but with Him, our temporary happiness can become eternal joy. We can face our trials, we can love our enemies, we can share our faith because the Christ within us empowers us to do all things through Him. He does not restrict His advantage upon our lives to the mere spiritual, but He pours Himself over everything that we are and do—all to His glory!

So we claim His finest gifts—health, strength, wisdom, truth, faith, hope, joy, peace, love—in a world that affords us little about which to anticipate good, and we know HIS GIFTS transcend this Vale of Tears we call time and tap us into the Eternal Realm where all good things shall abide forever.

Among those enduring gifts are those we share with others, those wonderful things that bless us become cause for abiding happiness within them as we extend them and they appropriate them. May we always have the gift of giving to others of the wonderful treasures Jesus has given to us. May we know great joy in lavish abundance and may we share it without reservation with those around us.