A cheerful glance brings joy to the heart;

Good news invigorates the bones.

Proverbs 16:30

Whether personal or of the world, there is no lack of bad news feeding our lives and hearts. Of late, I’m facing a couple of serious diagnoses, additional to those I’m already grappling with. In world news, we are all aching for the girls who have been kidnapped, the victims of severe weather, and other tragedies. But just as our lives are complex, so too should be the balance we purposefully bring to them. Yes, it can be difficult to see beyond the bad. But as people of Easter, people of faith, we are called to do just that.

This simple Scripture reading is front and center on my work desk these days, a testament to the importance of good news as an antidote and protection against the negative effects of all bad news darkening our lives. I especially like the second line: “Good news invigorates the bones.” Truly, we cannot do away with bad news, and sometimes we have to face it head on and ride through a sea of murk and gloom. But to do this with courage and strength, to not sink down hopelessly, we have to hold onto something good, something of light, something of God.

Is it a cheerful glance from a loved one that can bring you today’s good? Is it an uplifting news story of bravery? Have you lived a very inspiring time, and can the memory of that fuel your determination to seek and find another?

Can you see the good in the natural world, the sky, the flowers? Can you hear the good in the laughter of children, unaffected by the negativity that draws you down and, thus, proving that the world is not all awful?

Darkness can drag us down. Bad news or a bad day can make us want to cower and cringe. But if we make the effort and seek that one good thing each day, we can counteract the effect of darkness and thrive in light.

Find something good today. Cherish it. Thank God for it. Use it as your weapon against darkness – and be strong.

Blessings for the day,

Maureen