8-23-2025 The Smile
I wrestled all week with what to publish today. Yesterday, I thought Father was telling me to compare Luke chapter 15, the Prodigal son, with a song/poem He had given me (oh my goodness) fourteen years ago. Of course, the prodigal son took his inheritance, left home to ‘live his own life’, but learned that living in his Father’s house was far better. The song/poem carries us from our youth to old age and our relationship from our heavenly Father’s perspective. One day was not enough time to do this justice.
So this morning Father started my mind thinking about how I
feel when I smile and how I feel when I help others to smile. Not much scripture today, mostly my personal
reflections. The book of Proverbs
chapter 15 might help a bit with this as well.
I guess I’ve made ‘wise cracks’ all my life. I make a joke or a pun about something and it
always brings a smile to my face and more often than not, to the people I’m
talking with at least a smile. I may
have been encouraged in my High School Latin class. One day, a fellow student in our third year of
Latin, wrote a phrase on the blackboard.
Not only was he challenging us translate the phrase into English, but
our teacher as well. A few of us picked
up on what he had written and it even took the teacher a few minutes to figure
it out. With the explanation, we all had
a good laugh. No, I don’t remember the
phrase, but I was dating a girl named Peggy at that time. The Latin word ‘clavum’ means ‘peg’, so at
times I would tease her by calling her Clavusy.
Must’ve been okay, she never slugged me.
I pick the occasion to imitate Arnold (Schwarzenegger, not
the pig) with “Ah’ll be baach”. Of
course then, Arnold drove a pickup truck through front door to the police
station (Terminator). I just want to let
people that I’ll be seeing them - sometime.
Okay, now to why I’m writing this today. I enjoy smiling a laughing and over the years
I’ve learned that when people smile, their face will (actually) light up. Needless to say that their countenance
changes – for the better. When they
laugh, the barrier is broken – to a better attitude. I feel good when I see people smile and even
better when Father has allowed me to be a part of their laughing and releasing
any tension they may have, even if only momentarily. Often, I will just nod as I pass by people
and acknowledge them and usually I’ll get a nod back, maybe even with a
smile. I feel good and, by the grace of
God, perhaps I’ve helped someone else to feel good.
What did the verse in Provers say? “A man has joy through what he says and how
good it is when spoken in due season (Prov. 15:23).
As Christians, aren’t we supposed to help people feel better
about themselves? I’m not talking about
soothing egos, but maybe lo just let a little sunshine into their life.
Paul talks about edification – that we should do things to
bless and edify others (Romans 14:19).
He also encourages us to bless those who don’t like us Rom. 12:14). Shouldn’t we more so to our friends?
What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22-23). As we treat others in this fashion, it will
come back to us (Matt. 7:2).
Helping people smile is a reflection of the Holy Ghost in us
(fruit of the SPIRIT). It is being
polite and courteous to others to demonstrate that fruit in our lives. That fruit will bring smiles in our direction
and we reap the ‘good feelings’ through the appropriate response. Remember the old slaying “monkey see, monkey
do”? A positive action does generate a
positive action in return
As I said, I feel good when i smile, even if they don’t
smile back, but when they do, I feel much better. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it
shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of
mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
The smile
is a spiritual lifter for the smiler as well as the smilee (is that a word?) how faces will brighten up – even our own.
Amen
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