The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 23:24, “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

As far back as I can remember, I have been gifted with a sense of humor. At times,

everything takes on the look of fun. I follow Nana on foot as she drive the carts in

Walmart. And as she rounds the corner a new aisle, I look seriously at the people

and say in an audible, but “whispered” voice, “She doesn’t have insurance!” Sometimes

my stand-up-and-push basket almost collides with someone, because I’m always in a

hurry. When It’s a BIG man, I say, “Sorry, sir, but I never mess with guys who are

bigger than I am.”

Have you ever imagined Jesus being humorous? I think the verse above demonstrates

that even though He was always serious about His mission on Earth, He had a sense

of humor. In fact I was taught that the expression was humorous to the Jews of His day.

The King James translation says, “strain at a gnat.” But the Greek says, “strain out…”

“Eliminate from a liquid by an extraction process; filter out a flying insect.”

Solomon said, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Pro. 17:22).

There are a lot of things that work against maintaining a joyful spirit, but just because some

people act and look like dried prunes, there’s no reason for us to be glum. What does that old

song say?

If you know the Lord,
You need nobody else,
To see you through the darkest night.
You can walk alone,
you only need the Lord
To keep you on the road marked right.
Take time to pray, every day;
And when you’re heading home,
He’ll show you the way.
If you know the Lord,
You need nobody else,
To see the Light,
God’s wonderful Light.

Practice being joyful today! You’ll brighten the paths of other around you; and you just might

encourage yourself in the process!

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”