July 16, 2019 – Click here to listen
Today you have a choice. You can be happy, cheerful, and optimistic with a big smile on your face, or you can scowl, frown, be unhappy, display a foul mood, and be pessimistic. A great man I knew was always smiling, even during times of tragic events including colon cancer. I asked him one day how he could possibly be in a good mood ALL the time even when undergoing tremendous pain. I had observed him for many years and knew that this was no forced smile or contrived grin; he was just naturally cheerful ALL THE TIME!
He told me that the secret was when he shaved.
Huh?
He explained that every morning he shaved and when he looked in the mirror he would tell himself: “Today you have a choice; you can be happy with a smile or unhappy with a frown. I happen to choose a smile and happiness.”
Hmmm . . . I’ve tried that many times and have had great results when I did it; however, his self-discipline is far superior to mine. I scowl some mornings when shaving and it is almost as though I’m preparing for war. Other times I start out fine but end up madder than a wet hen. I went to New York City and was looking at a menu posted on the wall of a deli. I was engrossed in the menu and didn’t notice that it was my turn to order. The guy working there angrily told me to either order or get the hell out of there. A few years earlier I would have probably shot him in that big mouth, but I decided to let it pass and just go somewhere else to eat. It didn’t faze him one iota when I left without ordering.
I used to fly all over the country and after many decades of this I was incredibly bored with it all. I flew so much I was always upgraded to first-class so I was allowed to board early and at the front of the plane. As boredom set in one day I decided to experiment. I decided I would look 20 passengers in the eyes. Half would be met with a warm friendly smile and the other half would be met with an icy, unfriendly stare that if looks could kill, they would be a dead duck. As you might surmise 100% of those I warmly smiled at, even if they were frowning, all seemed to visibly relax and flash smiles back at me. The other half reacted just the opposite with one or two actually recoiling. All turned their heads away from me.
I had a redneck hunting friend for many years. He lived in rural Georgia and in that farming community everyone on the road would wave as they passed another car. He had the habit of raising his hand to wave at everyone. Once we passed a dog trotting down the road and he automatically threw up his hand and waved. I laughed for three miles about that one. Contrast that scene with Atlanta located just 100 miles to the north. The only waving going on up there was a middle finger salute.
Jesus told us the most important thing in life is love. God is love and we are His church and we are to love. Men when you shave make up your minds every day, Today I’m gonna smile and be happy and women when you paint up your faces do the same and we’ll have a little peace in this hate-filled place.
We should imitate our God as best we know how!
Psalm 86:15
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.