BEFORE THE YAWN

Ever have one of those events you had to attend and you knew before you went to it, the event was going to be boring. Actually, I imagine there are all kinds of things we do out or responsibility that can end up being considered boring at times.

And I suppose if we are honest about, there are probably way too many moments in life that hardly fall under the category of giving us smiles. But unless we are somehow free from all the normal challenges of life, we will have to face such reality.

I know some people who act like you should get excited about everything you do. As if you are somehow a bad person is you don't end up smiling and dancing constantly.

Personally, I would be worried about a person that smiled no matter the situation. There are times when it is truly normal to feel down.

There is a difference in my view between being negative and being sad. The first is an attitude. It is a lack of expectancy and an inability to see possibilities.

The latter is an emotion. If we never felt sad, never had sense of remorse how could we truly care about the pain others suffer? How could we be refrained from hurting others unless knowing how being hurt makes us so sad. It is merely a frame of reference that is necessary in life if you are going to do more than be dead in your heart.

I don't God expects us to always be happy. There are times when it is okay to feel said to be bored in terms of facing the truth or one's feelings.

It is, if understood, the point of view that sees and wants to see the real beauty of life among the emptiness and ugliness. That accepts and embraces the moments of yawns for the fact of how they let us appreciate the times of soaring.

Some seem to think you can truly enjoy one without the other. Having and artificially induced smile it only kidding oneself.

Should there be joy in being a follower of the Lord? Yes, very much so. But there is also times that it is okay to feel sadness too.

Just accepting that is better than the dishonesty of thinking Christians should never be sad or unhappy in any way. I've seen those that bubbled over in all ways. Thought that somehow you just weren't truly spiritual if you didn't look constantly at peace.

But in reality, too often that just ends up a facade. A mask of pretense we wear to appear as the image we think we need to convey.

God knows the truth. He gives us a heart to feel and to also express those feelings as they really touch us. Some learn that lesson. Others do not. We just have to be willing above all to face the truth no matter what expression it leaves on the face.