February 12-13 - Smiles

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. Job 29:24 NIV

Today began as one of those days.

Visitors were due, cleaning and shopping had to be done, and the additional list of to-do's was long – I really could have done without the visitors. The breakfast dishes were in the sink, unwashed, books and papers covered the tables in the sitting room and kitchen, and the computer was pinging periodically to remind me there was a blog to finish, and in between the telephone went into over-drive. I'd just got up, but oh, how I wished I could crawl back into bed. But I pushed through. I washed the dishes, cleaned the toilet, and stacked the books and papers in neat piles before the visitors arrived.

“There must be more to life than this,” I thought.

Just then, going into the sitting room, my friend's three-year-old daughter looked up at me and did something that made my day.

She smiled (an upside-down frown). She was happy. She was singing along with Cbeebies. Her grin instantly melted my cares away – even though I knew that after they had left, I would have the added task of cleaning little nose and finger marks from the doors and mirror in the hall. Suddenly, things seemed tolerable and I enjoyed my day rather than dreading it . Little moments like that make life worth it. The best things in life come in the form of grins or the contagious laughter of a child. These are the simple moments that make life a little more bearable.

It’s so easy to respond to life with exhaustion and weariness. But responding to life with a smile can change our perspective. Take Job for instance. Of all people he had more reason than most to be outraged at his circumstances. But Job chose to respond differently.

Job 29:24 says,

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.

Michelle S. Lazurek writes: 'Job’s smile not only allowed him to choose joy in spite of his circumstances, it allowed him to shine God’s light so that others could see Him more clearly.

Responding to life with drudgery is easy. Responding to life with a smile can change someone’s life; maybe even yours. Give it a try today and see what happens.'

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength” - Proverbs 17:22 NLT

“Give the World a Smile” (LIVE) our music. Click on the picture to listen.