By HAROLD KELLER / L’Observateur / Febuary 6, 1999

On Jan. 25, I celebrated 25 years of sobriety. The first seven years of notdrinking was truly a miserable time in my life. Yes, God had taken thedesire and craving for alcohol from me, but I chose not to fill the vacuum in my life. I was empty and really not living, but merely existing. Over theyears, I stated many times that the saddest thing I’ve experienced in life is a person who has been drug-free for 10, 20 or even 30 years and is still miserable.

Today, I realize that even more tragic than a sober ex-drunk is a joyless Christian. The Bible is very specific about leading an exciting life. It saysthat the joy of the Lord is my strength. One does not have to be a Biblescholar to interpret that to mean that without joy you are weak.

One statement that I enjoy repeating is something I heard on a motivational tape 35 years ago. The quote was that 98 percent of thepeople in America die at 21; they just don’t get buried until they are 75 or 80. I’ve found from my own experience that this statement can refer toChristians as well as non-believers.

I’ll never forget, a few years ago, a lady that I attended church with really enjoyed telling everyone about her troubles. Regardless if it werefinancial, physical or spiritual, she really let you have it with both barrels.

One Sunday, I tried to escape before she cornered me, but was unsuccessful. She spotted me and came running to give me the bad newsfor the day. “Harold, you won’t believe what happened,” she said. “Ipromise that I’ll believe anything you say if you cut it short,” I answered.

When the conversation was over, I asked how long she had been a regular church-going Christian. “Twenty years,” she replied, proudly. I thensuggested maybe she should try going to the daiquiri shop one night. Shewas shocked. The reason I told her that is because the people in thedaiquiri shop looked happier than she did. She wasn’t amused with myrecommendation, but I said, “Really, it’s time we (meaning all Christians) start believing what we read in the Bible.” If we are the salt of the earth,let’s act that way. If the light we have is supposed to shine on the world,let’s put the switch on. A truly cheerful face comes from a joyous heart.Let’s decide that every day we will not only sing about the joy of the Lord, but also actually have it.

God has actually taken the blinders off my eyes and today I realize that an unhappy ex-drunk is not nearly as sad as a weak Christian who chooses not to be strong by being joyful. Many years ago, on a retreat, I heard someonesay that joy is spelled: “Jesus Others You.”

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

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