A Banquet or a Funeral?

“Smile, it’s free”* is an optimistic viewpoint to take on life. Proverbs 15:13 (MSG) restates this theme as “a cheerful heart brings a smile to your face…”

There are those times when is appropriate to literally laugh (or dance) with joy over all the goodness in ones life. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) Being positive makes you a better and happier individual.

It’s not realistic to believe that life will only be the positive (sunshine and roses) without the negative (rain and thunder) also. Both have made you into the total person that you now are.

The song, Smile, has been performed by many musical artists. The melody for this song was attributed to silent film star, Charlie Chaplin, with lyrics by John Turner.

The chorus to Smile is the reality of what many human beings have to deal with on a daily basis.

“Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it’s breaking

When there are clouds in the sky you’ll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through for you”

Ecclesiastes 7:2 (MSG) adds this realistic side note to the above: “You learn more from a funeral than a [banquet]-After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discover something from it.”

Who knows how their life will end? Your existence here on Earth can be one of unlimited possibilities (for yourself and others) or of total regret (on what you should have done for yourself and others).

The next time you need sensible advice on how to live; it might be intelligent to stop by a funeral service, and listen to what is being said about the deceased (rather than hear the living as they eat and chat). This is where you will discover the real story of human goodness (or failure).

Proverbs 14:12-13 (MSG) emphasizes how not to live a meaningless existence in this world. “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again-it leads straight to [death]. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter end in heartbreak.” Are you intelligent enough to get this scriptural hint?

*This quote is taken from Fixari Family Dental (with Ohio locations in Columbus and Canal Winchester).