A Smile

In a recent post entitled "The Backbone" I had made reference to impacting someone with just a smile, and had said a post on that would follow shortly. Here it is.

Some time ago, my mom had wanted to go to a Rite-Aid to pick up some things, but instead of going to the local one, (we had been there three times already that week), we went to one in a neighboring town. As I was getting out of the van, I happened to look up and see a somewhat stern-looking, bearded man in a truck. He was looking at me, so I smiled at him. If I remember right he smiled back, but the matter was pushed to the back of my mind as we went inside, laughing about how Mom didn't wear her black boots because they didn't match with her brown purse.

After looking around some and using the facilities, we ended up at the end of an aisle. I look and see the man I smiled at coming towards us. My mom thought we were in the way, so she apologized.

"No, no, you're fine," he said. "I've come to talk to this young lady here." He gestured towards me. "I noticed she smiled at me earlier, and I thought 'Wow'." If my memory is correct, it was then that he gave me a five-dollar bill.

"Thank you!" "Thank you so much!"

Mom went on to say that she had always taught us, from the time we were little, to smile at people and see how many smiled back. He then proceeded to tell us that he was a single father and he had raised twins, a boy and a girl, who were eighteen.

"Good for you," my mother said. "That's wonderful!"

Before he left, I shook his hand. "Now you have five dollars," he said. "Spend it well now!" I smiled and nodded, and then he turned and made his way out of the store.

The money was nice, but the thought that I had so touched this man just by smiling was worth more to me than $5 times a million.

Paul admonishes us thus in Galatians 6:9-10: "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men,] especially unto them who are of the household of the faith." Never underestimate your influence, nor the power of a smile. You might reap very largely for it in the world to come.

Blessings,

Jean