The Happy Mask

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.

Proverbs 14:13

Sometimes we have no idea what another person is going through. They chat away as normal with a smile on their face and possibly even laughter in their voice. They push their pain to the side for a moment of normality and a brief interlude of calm.

Maybe it is you that is dealing with a situation that is causing your heart to break, or maybe you carry the weight of sorrow and grief and long for some respite from its grasp. Laughter is not a betrayal of heartache; sometimes our heart just needs to find a balance to the sorrow.

Scripture asks us to be tender hearted and kind to one another. We won’t always know a person’s circumstances, even someone we know well, but we do know how to offer a smile into someone’s day. Even if you do know someone’s personal situation, don’t misjudge that they are doing fine just because you heard them laugh.

We all have ways of hiding pain and ways of coping with it. Allow the Lord to carry your burden, or at least the opportunity to help you carry it, and don’t be afraid to let joy have a portion, or even just a moment, of your day.