Have you ever heard the expression, "leave someone better than the way you found them"? It means to help improve someones day. In this world, we are so caught up in our daily routines and sometimes just feel like we are barely making it through, that we forget about the person next to us!
When we think about helping others, we tend to think of things like charity work and helping the church. We many times think we have to have money to give and that is not always the case. Sure, we need to help our church and give to God what we owe Him and try to bless our missionaries and other charities. The one thing that I think we miss most of the time is the simple, inexpensive things we can do for others around us.
Ever since I was born, I have been known for my giant smile. I have had more comments made about my large toothy grin than I begin to tell! One time, when I was only about 8 years old, my pastor asked me why I smile so much. At the time, I didn't know how to answer that. I never thought that I smiled more than the average person, but I guess to him I did! At that moment, I looked back at his beaming face and realized, I had brought him joy. Now that I'm older, I realize how hard being a mom is and how life can get you down. I know the trials that one can face and how just a smile from my children, husband or a friend can brighten my day! Sometimes, I will go through crazy Walmart and just put on a perma-grin and see how peoples attitude change just by seeing a happy person go through and actually say "excuse me". Or, I may stop and chat with the cashier and ask them about "Their" day, rather than them always feeling obligated to make me, the customer, feel welcomed. Whenever I stop to say, "and how are you?" to them, they always look back with a smile and seem surprised that someone would ask them that for a change!
So, let's take those small, inexpensive talents that God gave each one of us to bless someone today. Bake a cookie for your neighbor, smile understandingly at the mom who seems overwhelmed with her 3 children in a cart, help a person who can't reach that top shelf or just wait patiently in a line and smile at the person next to you. Be on the lookout for someone to encourage and then I guarantee you will stop thinking about just yourself and it will not only help others, you will feel good about yourself too and improve your day!
Philippians 2:4 "Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others."
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