Pastoral Pearls: Be so happy ...
Be so happy that when other look at you they become happy.
I found this in my Doctor’s examining room, and it spoke to me! I like to be a happy person. I see how that affects the people around me and it makes me all warm inside. But this assumes there are degrees of happiness – “Be so happy…” I never thought that way before. There is the quiet, inner happy – almost secret. That’s kind of fun at times. But it doesn't really touch others as it only creates a tiny inner glow. There’s the fake happy – to please others. Come on, we all do it. That’s not it. The general happy, where nothing specific is causing it, but is just part of my nature, is better. People begin to notice, but don’t know why either. But they kind of like it. Maybe it brings out a Mona Lisa smile. But I’m going to work on the big Kahuna happy – that is so contagious that people can’t help smiling, and may even ask me why I’m smiling. Now that’s what I call H-A-P-P-Y!
That’s the God-given Happy, the kind that Jesus hopes we can achieve, so people do ask why. He wants my faith to be completely evident , and my smile can help with that. God wants people to ask me WHY, so I can respond by telling them about what miracle God has done for me that caused me to smile, or what amazing feeling I just experienced, which ultimately comes from God, or what person in my life has recently reflected God’s love for me. Now that I call “Faith in Action,” and I do like action!
It reminds me of that picture, if you’ve ever seen it, of Jesus throwing his head back with a great smile on his face! One of my favorite portrayals of Jesus! So I plan on letting my Happy shine through me, passing on the Happy. Do you want to try it with me?
Loving God,
Open my eyes so that I can see all the amazing ways you show yourself throughout my day
– in people; in things I see; in things that happen to me; in things I do.
Tickle my heart to remind me more often to let Your love shine brightly through my smile, so as to cause a chain reaction of glorious smiles!
May your Holy Spirit empower me to pass the Happy you give to me on to others!
~ Amen