Wear a smile

I love it when people smile. I'm not sure what’s going on in our post covid culture but I’ve noticed there aren't a lot of smiles going around. You would think that after getting through those miserable covid years everyone would be walking around with huge smiles on their faces. 

I live across the street from a beautiful walking trail next to a harbor. I walk that trail two or three times a week. I usually pass several people going the other way on my walk. When I pass someone I usually say, “good morning” or "good afternoon" with a smile. About half of them return the greeting with a smile. The others look the other way or simply have no expression on their faces. I think smiles are a gift. When someone smiles at me it lifts up my spirits. It’s a gift that doesn’t cost anything and yet a lot of people are stingy with their smiles.

I know the Bible doesn't say, “thou shalt smile,” but I think the joy of the Lord should be evident in our lives and on our faces. They say it takes 12 muscles to smile and 113 muscles to frown. Smiling at people is a form of acceptance. We should smile regardless of how others express themselves to us. If your neighbor never smiles, be the bigger person and keep smiling. At some point your smile will find its way into their heart. I did some research and discovered that the word smile is only mentioned a few times in the Bible. Apparently there wasn’t a category for that word in the Bible. However, according to biblical scholars, the smile can be interpreted as the flickering presence of God’s glory in the ordinariness of life. This means our smiles have the potential to bring God’s glory to the everyday dreariness of life. So here’s my big idea for you: Start smiling, Keep smiling, and Don’t stop smiling. The world needs your smile!

Stay close to Jesus,

Steve