Smile

Lizzie Freear takes a look on the brighter side of life

Please. It’s not very hard. It only takes a small movement of the mouth, and it could change the world. I worked in a supermarket for nearly a year, and was required to make conversation with the customers. I was astounded by the number of negative responses I got when I asked people how they were. From the way they dressed, shopped and behaved I would guess that for the most part they were intelligent, healthy and not short of money. Although shopping is regarded by many as an unpleasant necessity, it had been no great hardship for them to get to the supermarket, and when they got there they could exercise an amount of choice unimaginable in a lot of the world.

This may seem unrealistic. People have bad days. Even if someone has a good life it doesn’t mean things always go their way. People have a right to be unhappy.

I am afraid I beg to differ. When travelling I have met people who by the usual standards are nowhere near as lucky as I am, and have appeared in general far happier and more cheerful, and on occasions very hospitable. These are people who drink water every day that could give them a fatal illness.

You have more than health and wealth to smile about if you are a Christian. Those faithful to God are promised great things. Christians have an eternal life in Heaven with God to look forward to. Surely this is something to smile about?

There is more. A Christian is never alone. Those who believe in God have a friend wherever they go, and a confidante and protector whatever they do. If a Christian despairs, or suffers unbearably, all they need to do is turn to God and He will help them through it.

One of the many tasks we have as Christians is to evangelise. How are we going to manage this if we look grumpy? It doesn’t exactly send out the right message. If we are happy, if we smile, it will not only cheer up those around us and inspire happiness in them, but perhaps make them think about what it is about being a Christian that makes us so happy, and whether they should get a bit of it.

Finally, and most importantly, God loves every single person on this Earth. Every human being has a good reason to be happy. The most powerful being in the whole universe loves us all unconditionally. If that isn’t enough to make you smile, I don’t know what is.

Whoever you are, you are a very lucky person, and you have a lot to be happy about. Whatever happens to you, however down you get, remember who’s on your side, and smile.

Lizzie Freear

Photos: Lizzie Freear, Keith McKillop