Keepin' on the Sunny Side

After having some challenges a few weeks ago, I was reminded of an old bluegrass song that had perked me up at a really difficult time in my life several years ago. Perhaps you saw the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” (It was a humorous interpretation of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", set in the deep south during the 1930's)…the Peasall sisters had a brief scene in the movie singing a song by June Carter Cash, “Keep on the Sunny Side.” Shortly after the movie these Tennessee minister’s daughters played this and some other sacred music live at a gathering in Nashville. The sweet voices of these Grammy award winners and the encouraging words of this classic song changed my focus that day and still keep reminding me years later to “keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side” and to “trust in the Saviour always, To keep us, every one, in His care.”
Here are the words to encourage you when you hit a “dark and a troubled side of life.”

Keep on the Sunny Side
by June Carter Cash
(Chorus)
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,Keep on the sunny side of life.It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,If we keep on the sunny side of life.

Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life.There's a bright and a sunny side too.But if you meet with the darkness and strife,The sunny side we also may view.

Oh, the storm and its fury broke today,Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear.Clouds and storms will in time pass away.The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Let us greet with a song of hope each day.Though the moments be cloudy or fair.Let us trust in our Saviour always,To keep us, every one, in His care.


If you are not familiar with the tune you can hear the Peasall sisters sing it online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgZzQOWnvg0&NR=1

I try to remind my kids there are always two sides to every situation…a positive and a negative. We need to look for and focus on the positives in each situation, and don’t let the negatives devastate us. Jesus told His disciples, “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” John 16:20b (NIV)

Keeping on the Sunny Side,

The Treasure of an Encourager*

I was at a funeral with my dad a few days ago and saw a long time family friend. My mother and this special woman have been friends since I was in elementary school. Immediately, this lady walked toward my dad and me, greeted us with a beautiful smile and words of endearment. Instantly, I was filled with a renewed appreciation for the positive and encouraging heart of this wonderful person. This friend, now on the edge of her golden years, was even more affirming than I had remembered. It was like finding a treasure that you misplaced years ago, but found it serendipitously with its value tremendously appreciated over time.

Her eyes sparkled and a smile broke out across her face with every pause in the conversation. As we stood in the parking lot on a beautiful, windy, spring day, her healthy silvery hair was blowing around her face like an aura of positivity. This lady has the rare ability to always affirm everyone just by the way she tilts her head and looks at them when she listens to what they have to say. She always boosts your esteem with comments like, “that’s great!” which make you feel like you’ve just told her the most wonderful and interesting thing ever. She makes you laugh and she lifts your spirits with witty words and Barnabas-ish quips in response. Whenever you ask her a question, she always adeptly weaves the focus of the conversation back to the person she knows you like to talk about the most…yourself!

The three of us reminisced about the antics and adventures of the yearly family vacations to the beach and an unforgettable 2 week tour of the Western U.S. with 6 kids and 4 adults in one RV. She recalled specific memorable moments from those adventures that made us all snicker and laugh and sigh with fond remembrance. As we visited for just a few minutes, I realized what a treasure this person is to those who are privileged to interact with her, especially in the corrosive climate that has become our world. She always sees any negative situation from a positive perspective and helps you see it too. Her four children enjoy the empowerment and success that comes from the lifetime of accolades and affirmations of a proud mother.

After seeing this friend again, I was glad to know that nothing had changed about her except the fact that she had become even more adept at saying the most optimistic words at just the right moment. She is an expert encourager and an inspiration to all those around her. I pray I can encourage like she does.  She is a treasure to us all.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) ."..encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."