Just A Smile...

Last week at this time, I wrote a post that listed most of the things that are going on in my life right now that are proving to be a REAL challenge in the "the joy of the Lord is my strength" department. Right after that list, though, I wrote out several reasons as to why I am still putting one foot in front of the other and thanking God every day for His promises.

This week. What am I thankful for? There isn't any one specific thing outside of being incredibly grateful that this week is a MUCH better week than last week so far and today I took notice of it. Perhaps it was that the rain has let up a bit and the sun was out and it was 64 degrees on my way home but... a stop at the grocery store (that I didn't want to make) and dealing with several people who didn't want to be there either, I started to notice something... something strange and incredibly odd for a grocery store at 5PM (or any other time these days). Every time I smiled at someone, they smiled back.

Whatever happened to the art of smiling and saying hello to people? I don't intentionally make eye contact with people in the grocery store, I'm usually looking at "stuff" but if I do make eye contact or have to say excuse me, or apologize for some incorrect cart driving, I always try to include a smile. It doesn't cost a thing and it usually makes both people feel better...

Unless... well... It just seems a smile from others is so hard to come by these days. People rarely want to smile back and often they don't even want to acknowledge that they have seen me - like I don't exist. Is it too much effort to use those muscles? Sometimes there is this look of fear that passes over someone's face - as if they're wondering what harm I could be plotting against them and if they smile they will have fallen into my trap.

So... while my story isn't as dramatic as Lynn's this week, it's the same general idea. Why aren't we more neighborly with one another? Even when that person isn't our next door or street neighbor? After all...didn't Jesus tell us the neighbor was the Good Samaritan? He didn't know the guy in the ditch...and still....

Since I have made a very short story long, I will get to my point: I am thankful this week for the smile. For the power God gives it, for the light it brings and for the fact that it is a tool I have on hand - always. No matter where I go or what I'm doing, I can always pull out my smile. For that I am incredibly grateful. And I think I'll try to use it more today...and even more tomorrow and the next day... and so on...