you smile, I smile :)

Before you start reading, if you could go ahead and look up the song, “Smile” by Nat King Cole to listen to in the background while reading this, or listen to before or after reading, up to you!

Okay, ready? Are you comfy and settled? Maybe you have a cup of coffee in your hand. Maybe you’re sitting in bed. In school. At work? Where ever you are, I’m glad you’re there! If you’re sitting next to someone, go ahead and smile at them and see how they respond! If you want, you can let me know in the comments!!

Proverbs 15:30 says, 

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.”

Every Sunday and Tuesday, my team does ministry in a village about an hour away by Tuk Tuk! On the way back from the village today, instead of taking my usual “cool girl tuk tuk breeze in my hair” nap, I decided to smile at everyone I made eye contact with. 

As I passed each person on a moto, in a car, or standing outside their house or shop, I would make eye contact with them and smile at them. The response was wild!

THEY ALL SMILED BACK!

I know that might not sound so wild. Cool, people smiled back, so what? The reason it was so wild is that I realized I don’t do it enough! I don’t smile at other people enough. Sure, I do at the grocery stores and when I’m walking by people, or when I get in my tuk tuk after a long day, but that’s the bare minimum. 

As I smiled today, I didn’t have to say a thing, and yet I communicated a plethora of things I would have ever been able to communicate in words! (especially in Khmer)

And they were receptive! They would often giggle after they smiled and just continue about their life!

There was something even more special about doing it to strangers because I had no idea what was happening in their lives. They could’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, their dog could have just passed, they could be celebrating getting a good grade on their exam! Whatever it was, even if there was nothing, there’s something that stirs in our hearts when someone smiles at us. It’s a simplistic joy. We should do it more often, because it feels pretty good : )

This is your time to think about how often you’re smiling at those around you (really smiling, not that fake smiling thing). TRY IT! It feels really good!

Your challenge today: Smile @ at least 3 people! Try the joy, I bet you might like it!

Songs that are currently making me smile:

– Talk It Up (Sammy Rae & Friends)

– Awake My Soul + Spontaneous (MBL Worship)

– She Calls Me Back (Noah Kahan)

– Hypotheticals (Lake Street Dive)

–