A Smile A Day Makes the Frowns Go Away

It was Mother Teresa who said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Have you ever encountered a person and maybe you knew them, maybe you didn’t, but they just had a smug attitude or even just a smug face and they just kind of dampened your day? Now think of time you encountered someone who was chipper and full of life. Maybe they said something to you or maybe they just threw a smile in your direction. How did that make you feel?

I have a natural stink face. I look smug on most days even when I’m in a super great mood. My chill face reads “Hi, my name is Allyson and I will bite you if you come near me.” I try to remember to smile, but when I’m tired or thinking there comes that face that every asks, “Are you ok? Why are you so mad?” I’m fine this is just what my face looks like. I have an aggressive tone in my voice also. When I’m busy, stressed, or trying to make a point, which doesn’t help my facial expression. Most people, once they get to know me, tell me before they knew me they thought I was stuck up or that I didn’t like them. Truth of the matter is I’m really shy before you get to know me. Once I’m comfortable around you, you can’t get me to shut up and it doesn’t take much for me to get comfortable around people, but unless you initiate the conversation first I’m not speaking.

Now this something I’ve always known about myself and have heard for years, but recently someone mentioned it to me and it really struck me as a surprise. I had one of my girlfriends mention she thought I didn’t like her when she first met me. She was told I was this really good soprano from Urshan, and her being a soprano herself she was intimated, that was until I said a few small words that didn’t take much effort and I don’t even remember saying, but she says this was the turning point in her view towards me. One day, after she had sung, I told her she did a good job on her song. That was it. Nothing fancy. Nothing memorable. I didn’t get out of my comfort zone. I just spoke kindness and a friendship was born.

Now imagine if I spoke kindness everywhere I went to everyone I met? How would my life change? What kind of friends would I have? The number of friends I would have? The simple act of kindness can change a person’s day, it can change their outlook, their point of view, their life and it will change your life too. Colossians 3:12  tells us,

 "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, and humility"

I don't know about you but I barely posses half of these. (I know I'm horrible) but I realize where I need to change and from this point forward I will be working on it.

As Christians our great commission is to reach souls yet we sike ourselves out with it when in reality all it takes is simply showing kindness and compassion and we could reach souls daily.