Just Smile

In our small group, we are reading a book, “The Power of a Positive Mom,” by Carol Ladd, which I highly recommend to any and all mothers no matter the age of your children. In the book, Carol Ladd suggests putting on a smile regardless of how you may feel. Now, she is not encouraging women to be fake and put on a mask, but rather she is asking women to try on a smile even when we may not feel our best.
Then one day I came home, and my oldest was rubbing me the wrong way. Not because he was actually doing anything wrong, but because I was in a foul mood. I was tired. He was trying to talk to me and was being ridiculously sweet, but I simply didn’t want to listen because I had just arrived home after working a long day. I don’t know what came over me, but perhaps it was God telling me my oldest just needed the comforting smile of a mother. Regardless, I did it. I smiled. I really didn’t feel like smiling, so it was just a small smile. The reaction I got in return, however, was fabulous! It lifted my whole family to see me smiling, and it didn’t cost me a thing. One smile was precisely what my family needed! And all I needed was a little self-control to put it on. I was ever so thankful for that silly smile because what ensued afterwards were some deep conversations with my beautiful children, and those conversations continued to ripple over a few days. It wasn’t just, “Hey, how was your day?” No, these were character-instilling, morality-boosting, life-guiding conversations. These conversations are ones that I believe God wanted to use and be a part of. Things and thoughts were on their minds and had their wheels  turning, and I was given a chance to speak truth into their hearts that will be there for eternity. It was great “mommy moment,” and I will forever treasure those coversations all because I chose to smile.
So when you find yourself in one of those moods, try on a smile to see how it fits. It may help pick you up as well as pick up those you love. It might just make your day. After all, smiles are contagious, and they spread like an Arizona wildfire.

Author: Amanda

Amanda works at VCNP in the Vineyard Kids Kids Check. She and her husband, Mark, homeschool their two children. She loves to entertain, cook, bake and read when she's not outdoors hiking mountains or shooting firearms in the desert with her family. She is an avid follower of Christ and loves to worship and dig through scriptures. She can be found most any weekend in the Children's ministry building. View all posts by Amanda