Tiny Devotional for Tuesday, 12-15-2020

A great and good AFTERNOON to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, string some popcorn on thread as a decoration for the tree.

 

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,
But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13, NASB

 Alicia Ann was BAD sick on Sunday; I’ve had more minor, longer-lasting symptoms. Thus, no Tiny Devotionals for the last two days.
Part of that was because the greater drove out the lesser; on Sunday, Alicia’s temp almost took us to the ER. She recovered, but my mind was not on writing.
The other part was because I felt so OFF, I suspected it would affect what I wrote.  I didn’t want to make others feel bad, and I didn’t want people fearing I was more-than-temporarily disturbed. 

POINT-THE-FIRST: Sad hearts are real.  

“Shake it off! There’s nothing wrong with you!” That heaps guilt and shame on the sad heart, and offers no help. The proverb validates the experience of the sufferer; there IS something wrong, even if it cannot be identified.
I KNOW what’s wrong with me: I’m sick. I also know I’ll get better. But, some don’t have that knowledge.  Therefore:

POINT-THE-SECOND: Feeling bad doesn’t mean doing bad.

I feel crummy at the moment. That’s DOESN’T give me an excuse to yell at the kids or kick the cat. How I feel, physically and emotionally, is ethically neutral, but my behavior is not. My feelings do not determine my behavior; I choose how I act. (Older readers may recall the 1960s Anacin commercial that made a similar point.)
 I’ll feel better soon; until then, I think I’ll look at some pictures of my grandchildren, and eat Blue Bell popsicles.

Peace be on your household.

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