My daughter has a sign hanging on the wall in front of my desk that I get to read everyday. It simply says, “Today is a perfect day, for a perfect day”. This inspires me with its simplicity, and the fact that a 15-year-old found it true enough to purchase it. There is so much pain in the world today, I believe we’re in a season of giving. One of my favorite sayings is, “What we take for granted, someone else is praying for”.

You may be having a hard time yourself, and it seems you have nothing to give. That’s when we give of ourselves.

I enjoy watching people’s faces as they walk through the airport. Their facial expressions tell a lot about who they are, especially women. When I was little and I made a mean face to my brother behind his back, Mama would say, “You better be careful or your face might freeze like that”. Maybe if I had spent my life making faces at my brother,  it would be true. I saw so many women at the airport this week, with a face of sadness, or an embedded frown. That tells me, they spent a lot of time with that look on their face, so now their face automatically relaxes into that position.  It’s sad.

So, I made a practice this week of everyone I saw walking toward me without a smile, I gave them one of mine. Everyone I encountered at the Airport, I was ‘over the top’ kind to them. Everyone I smiled at… smiled back. They gave me a look of hesitancy at first, and then there was a sign of relief, and happiness, just for a moment. Maybe that was the first time they had smiled all day. For some, it was the first time in years!

Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

I encourage you today, if you think you don’t have anything to give, dust off your smile and kindness and give it away! It will come back to you.