A Matter of Perspective
Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts. ~Paramahansa Yogananda
Smiles are so important today. Especially smiles that light up the face all the way to the eyes. Those are the type of smiles that are real.
For a while, the only way we really knew for sure a stranger was smiling was if we could see it in their eyes and maybe a movement in their cheeks under their masks.
Today, there is an abundance of sadness in people’s hearts. They are seeking answers for their sadness but finding no answers. They are trying all sorts of ways to get rid of the sadness but that is leaving them more empty.
There have been more mass shootings and more murders of all types in the past few months that it is downright frightening.
But that smile...that elusive smile could be the thing that someone needs to brighten their day. It could be the thing that changes their heart.
A smile is a small thing but huge at the same time.
To share a smile through your own pain takes a lot of guts and fortitude. I know because I don’t always want to smile, either. I don’t always want to make jokes and try to make others laugh.
I do it because a laugh or a smile can make a world of difference for someone. I do it because I know the value of a smile versus the pain of a frown.
Do all of my smiles reach my eyes? No. Not all of them. But I would say that most of them do.
I took a self-quiz the other day and on a scale of 10, I rated my “happiness” an 8. That is a high number for me because I used to rate myself a 2 or 3 tops.
I know what changed. It is the relationship I have with Jesus Christ. After a lot of anger and tears and pain, I gave myself over to Him and it has made a difference.
Do I still frown? Yes. Do I still get sad? Yes. Do I still have moments of anger? Yes.
However, those times have become fewer and I can only attribute that to the love of Jesus in my heart.
I’m not perfect by any means but I will keep sharing my smile and hope that it reaches someone who is really hurt and gives them hope that things can and will get better.