The gift of a smile

Posted 30 Nov 2010

I haven’t been very cheerful of late. Maybe I suffer from Seasonal Adjustive Disorder… certainly the cold weather & darker days find a reflection in my general outlook & mood at this time of year.
Last Thursday (25/11/2010) my wife & I went to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. She attended a teacher’s training day whilst I was able to walk round the gardens. It was a very cold day, but the glasshouses were warmer, so I spent most of my time indoors! Apart from enjoying the plants on show, I spent my time reading a book entitled HTML, XHTML & CSS for Dummies. I am determined to try to figure out how web pages are created!
Towards the end of the day, I found myself in the Arid glasshouse, home to the cactii & succulants on show. I really like spiny cactus plants! I was mulling over how to improve this website, but was feeling rather sad & dejected. One of the Botanical Garden staff (a Botanical Gardener, in fact!) walked past me and gave me the most beautiful smile. Immediately my spirits lifted & I was reminded of a Bible scripture…
Matthew 10:42 (NLT)
[Jesus said] “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
That smile felt like a cup of cold water to me, it refreshed me & made my spirit rise up into praise for God. I certainly prayed that the gardener will receive a reward from Jesus, for showing me such kindness.
So, if you ever see someone looking glum, give them your smile – it costs you nothing, but it can make all the difference in the world to the recipient.

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