Monday, March 14, 2022
“Smile, No Matter What!”
These Monday devotions during Lent are becoming irritating. Here’s another one that’s trying to guilt me into something: smiling. This is the day after Daylight Savings and the morning I overslept. I can’t begin to smile unless I have at least one more cup of coffee (or in this author’s case, another Mountain Dew).
The purpose of today’s challenge and devotion is not simply to create another Monday problem. In fact, it’s just the opposite.
You might know someone who smiles all the time. I know a few! They smile so much that it can become irritating. They aren’t perfect. They encounter problems, challenges, and tragedies just like the rest of us, yet, still, they smile. Why does it irritate me? Because sometimes, I reserve the right to be Grumpy dwarf. I’ve earned it.
Today is one of those days…I don’t want to smile. However, I know there’s something very special about a smile. For one thing, smiles are contagious. It’s nearly impossible to not smile when someone else is smiling at me, and if their smile can actually bring me a tiny bit of Monday joy, why shouldn’t I try to do the same for another person?
Today, we will encounter lots of people who aren’t smiling. Like us, they woke up, turned on the radio, television, or computer, and encountered the same bad news while they drank their coffee. Yet today, maybe we can help turn a few of those frowns upside down. Maybe our smile can make a difference in someone’s day, week, and life.
Alright. Now, I’m properly caffeinated and sugared-up. I can begin. Let’s do this! Let’s smile, no matter what!
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” (Proverbs 15:30, NLT)
