Turn on that Lamp!

I looked a while before I found these lamps. What set them apart from all the others I had seen, was not only did they have a lamp on the outside, but they also had a lamp on the inside which makes a great night light. Score! I enjoy these lamps that brighten a dark room, but they also provide just enough light for ambience.

And, did you know we have the opportunity to be set apart from others with our lights? Our lights shine through our expressions and our smiles. I’ve been on both sides of a smile — giving and receiving it. I learned from first-hand experience the importance of a smile. I’ve been the “new girl”, already nervous about my first day on-the-job, and a kind and warm, smiling fellow employee meets me with the biggest smile and welcome that cuts right through all those jitters. I learned from that experience, when I was the employer or a fellow employee and absolutely knew I could be the “smiling” light the new employee needed.

My pastor in Tulsa told my husband and me that when he looked out at the crowd, he would purposely look for us because we were affirming and embracing him through our smiles. Oh, I’ve been on his side, too — looking out at the audience…. to find that smile worn by a loving and supportive listener.

You’ve got to hand it to pastors, ministers, speakers, and leaders who can motivate audiences that are looking back at them with those sullen and serious faces. I know some folks who really aren’t unhappy. They have a natural frown. In fact, I often walk past a mirror or I see a photo that someone has taken of me that I didn’t get to pose for, and I think “Donna — smile a while and give your face a rest! I must be on purpose with smiling. Think about Who lives big in you, and SMILE!”

Look at what God’s Word says about smiling and being merry.

• Proverbs 15:13 “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is crushed.”
• Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
• Psalm 34:5 “Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Think about all those photos taken of us in our lives — the school annuals, the sports teams we’ve been on, the church’s directory and the family photos on the walls of our homes. They are all photos of our faces….not our feet. God desires to take our faces, this exposed and memorable part of our bodies, and use them to reflect His glory, His goodness, and His mercy.

Maybe it’s time to do a check up from the neck up to see if we are exuding the love and joy of our risen Lord! We might be the only “Jesus” that others see, and I expect that He was full of the joy of the Lord!

This isn’t profound, but I know that a smile says “In spite of my circumstances — good or bad — I am blessed and I win!” I’ll take that! My lamp is turned on. I’m smiling BIG! Let’s give out our smiles — it just may be the turn-around someone needs to brighten and lighten their day and load!