I hear her giggle. Looking down I notice the turn of the head. Her bashful pose. My curiosity perked.
Glancing behind me I see an older gentleman gently talking to her. She smiles at him.
Aisle by aisle, we move up and down the grocery store. My mind is focused. Focused on getting the few items and getting out. Busy, busy. Rush, rush. Yet somehow today my daughter’s actions slow me. Not in a “she is throwing a tantrum” kind of way but in the simpleness of a child.
In every aisle, she notices the other customers. She smiles at them, waves, and giggles. The young and old. Those having a good day and those having a bad day. She notices them all and does not withhold a smile.
I am convicted. So often I want to rush through life. I want to get to the next event or season. I want to let the busyness shove me through each door.
Is there joy in that? Is there joy in the rushing of life? Is there joy in getting to the next season as fast as I can? And what of the people around me? Did they need my smile?
A child is real. Their expressions show the heart. They smile when they are happy and cry when they are upset. Life is simple.
Everyone at the grocery store is blessed. Blessed by the genuine smile of a toddler.
Are we willing to slow down enough to share a smile? Simple. One smile could mean more than one thousand words. Is there joy in a smile? Yes, I absolutely believe so.
Will you share a smile today? Will you slow down and notice someone?
Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. ESV
Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. NLT
Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ESV
1 John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. NKJV
God gave me this little phrase many years ago, “Relationships are more important than accomplishments.” He knew I would need this the rest of my life to remind me where my priorities need to be. Taking time to stop and smile is also part of that.
It is certainly easy to forget that the people around us every day in public settings are valuable and need love. Good reminder thanks