Smile
This is one of my favorite poems & I keep it hung on my refrigerator. It’s entitled “A Smile”.
A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
A smile. We each have one. I truly believe it is a superpower given to us by God, created by God, and meant to be used for God. It is one of the simplest, yet most powerful gifts we can offer to people around us.
A smile is powerful because it is an expression of love. It transcends age, from the youngest infant to the oldest adult. It reaches people who are deaf, people who are unable to speak, people who may be paralyzed, lonely, hurting, or mentally challenged. A smile can cross oceans and continents. It can break through barriers where words may not be understood. A smile speaks every language. Your smile is your superpower. No words needed. However, it does require something from us. It requires thoughtfulness. It requires intentionality. It requires us to look up, look around, and see people the way Jesus sees them.
My daughter Jacqueline and I were recently in a public restroom, waiting in line, when a woman struck up a conversation with me. A couple of days later, we were in Walmart when a young girl with special needs came up to me, started talking to me, and gently took my hand. Afterward, JQ looked at me and said, “Do you realize how many random people seem drawn to you?” I told her I hadn’t thought anything of it. She said she had read that some people simply have a presence, or an aura, that naturally attracts others. I smiled and said, “I can tell you what it is.” She immediately said, “I know mom, it’s Jesus inside you.” I said, “Yes, absolutely. But it is also something very simple. It is my smile.”
I believe in the superpower of an intentional smile. It says so much while doing so little. A smile lets people know, “I see you.” It lets people know, “You matter.” It lets people know, “You are loved.” It lets people know, “You are safe with me.” It is like holding out candy to a child or like bees being drawn with honey.
I keep a photo in my Bible of a little boy I met while traveling in Bengaluru, India in 2018. Every day, I would smile at him. He was always alone. No parents around. No words exchanged. Just a smile. Then one day, he finally walked up close to me. I went and grabbed a soccer ball, and we kicked it around together. Still, there were no words. Only smiles exchanged back and forth. I still pray for that little boy. And I believe that one day, I will meet him again in Heaven. All because of a smile.
We have all been affected by someone’s smile. We have all had moments when a smile softened our heart, lifted our spirit, or reminded us that we were seen. My encouragement to you today is simple: own your smile, steward your smile well, and use it for the glory of God. Because sometimes the smallest act of love can help build the Kingdom in ways we may never fully see on this side of Heaven. Let’s love God, reach the one, change the world one smile at a time!
I love you & I love the way you smile!