by Pastor Douglas Brauner

The Outward Effect of Joy

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I worked in bean fields during the summers of my childhood and youth. It started with picking green beans, though in the early days I mostly played with trucks in the dirt while my mom did the nasty work. Then, in my youth, I was promoted to what we called a weigh boy, I know, not politically correct, but this was the 70’s.

My job consisted of irrigating beans, cultivating the fields, and, of course, weighing the beans. The numerous pickers were compensated by the pound. They brought their gunnysacks of green beans to me, and I weighed them.

As I weighed the beans one day, a young picker looked at me and asked, “Why do you smile all the time?” I hadn’t thought about it or even noticed since I didn’t walk around with mirror in front of my face. I don’t remember what I said to this young woman other than, “What?”

However, her question has stuck with me. Most days there is a smile on my face. It comes natural to me because of the joy that I have in Christ. At that time, I was active in my faith walk. I attended youth conferences, studied the Bible with close friends, and was influenced by youth leaders and pastors.

“And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 8:15 English Standard Version

Through the Preacher, God encourages us to smile even in the toil of life. There is nothing better under the sun except to enjoy the blessings of God, the blessings that we see in the amazing light in Christ our redeemer and savior, the lover of our souls.

May someone find joy in the light of your smile today.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado