These
days my writer’s mind discovers refreshment and renewal from the smiling faces
of my grandchildren. When they turn their eyes toward mine and a reaction so
pure and so loving breaks forth from their mouths. That upturned tugging of the
lips drawing quickly and completely across their cheeks showing me that they
recognize who I am.
A
connection held by an invisible strand of shining joy; a smile creates a path
on which I eagerly respond with shimmering delight.
Today
my youngest grandson is four months old.
I have witnessed the debut of his smile as it began hesitantly, a slight
reflection of exaggerated expressions moving above and around him. He now can identify
my voice and will flash a drooling grin my way simply because I speak aloud in
his vicinity. He knows me, his face shines with a smile as I become present to
him.
Our nineteen-month-old
grandson has learned to smile and say cheese for the iPhone whenever he spies
us holding it in front of him. However, what I truly treasure happens as he
sits on my lap, while I cuddle and rock him. While I read to him, I point to
pictures in the book. He follows my
words over and over again throughout the story so that he knows what will
happen next. He often grabs the page to
turn it before I finish a sentence. Because he has listened, he responds and
then he smiles up at me, nodding his little head. Often while I hold him, a slumbering
movement of final wakefulness moves across his cheeks as he attempts one last
reassuring smile towards my face. As I
return a soft smile to him, I close my eyes to encourage him to rest, to feel
content in my arms, to surrender to the comfort of my loving embrace.
It
bears repeating this word, smile. For the
purity of its motion creates calm. It changes a struggling weary outlook to a carefree
elated perspective.
Yes, a
smile refreshes me. It brings to mind these words,
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| "Smile on me your loving servant. Instruct me on what is right in your eyes." Psalm 119:135 (TPT Version) |
What does
it mean to look into the face of Christ and receive His smile for me? Do I try
to emulate the shining kindness that radiates from His love for me? Do I take
the time to recognize His smile and allow it to change my outlook to a new
perspective?
These
days as often as I see the smile Christ offers me, I also need to receive His instruction. I want to follow the way He reads to me
and to understand so I can hear His guidance for me. I want to
rest in the assurance that I have surrendered within His loving embrace.
This refreshes
me. This creates a new delight within me. I want to speak like Job and say,
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| "I will forget my complaint; I will change my expression and smile." Job 27 (NIV Version) |
How
beautiful that God would create us to react in rejuvenating ways spurred on by
simply sharing a smile. How wonderful that we have this simple tool that we can
put upon our countenance. This facial muscle movement that even when forced while
we linger in difficult situations, can offer a refreshing of spirit to ourselves
and to others.
We
often complicate our lives by seeking and wanting to know what will happen next.
How will tomorrow bring a solution to our problem?
So, I
turn to the words of the Psalmist again and arm myself with my newfound
inspiration.
 | |
|
The other
day I played a game with my four-year-old granddaughter. She explained the
rules to me, gently admonishing me when I forgot to place my player on the
right spot.
“No,
we have to move together, Nana. Here I will show you.”
She
moved her player piece next to mine, pretending to give my piece a little hug
from hers.
“Okay,
ready?” she looked toward me with upraised eyebrows. “Here we go!”
And from
her face to mine the path brilliantly lit up with her glowing smile. We both
shimmered with smiles and laughter as we advanced our players along the
gameboard’s winding way.
May
you too find refreshment in the simplicity of a smile given to you or granted
by you. Be reassured by the knowledge that God loves to smile on you with His
radiance and His abundant love. Let His smile for you provide you with momentum
to allow your thoughts to meander and meet in the words He surely instructs you
to write.
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| "Smile on your servant! Deliver me because of your faithfulness! Psalm 31:16 (NET Bible) |
I thoroughly enjoyed your descriptive interactions with your grandchildren. I am in a similar season and they are a delight. I also appreciated how you related this relationship to the one we have with our heavenly Father.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your unique perspective on God's refreshment to you, Denise, and for reminding us how much God loves us and smiles and is pleased when we return our love back to Him. Your description of how much a child's smile lightens our spirits is a good metaphor for how God must feel. God bless your writing!
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