A Merry Heart



Mary Berry



“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 15:13

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” Proverbs 17:22

I walked into the house of a senior ex-military officer in my neighborhood about a year ago and was surprised to see lots of food supplements in his house. He claimed his total well-being lied greatly on taking supplements. He was quite advanced in age but had a healthy outlook. I was particularly attracted by the youthful tone of his skin. Although he looked healthy, one aspect of him appeared sick— his countenance. He had no supplement to fix this; if there was any he’d spend his fortune to get one.

People feel sick or look sick primarily because their spirit is broken. A broken spirit can kill faster than cancer or Ebola. Mary Berry (pictured above), a TV presenter and food writer, born 24 March 1935 will turn 80 on March 24. She flaunts a cheerful countenance in a manner that tickles the fancy of all. More tickling is her vow not to retire even after she had a knee replacement in January. When you are driven by purpose an unusual strength stirs from within you. Everyone around can feels a sense of vigor hovering around you. In effect, you laugh naturally and stay healthier.

You can fake a smile but you can’t fake a merry heart. The secret of keeping a merry heart is to find purpose in life. The moment you lose purpose you begin to lose everything. So find purpose in life and stay healthy.