Staying on Mission

To truly walk the path that God has chosen for us we must take inventory of the blessings He has bestowed on us. A voice to communicate. Patience to listen. A mind to solve problems. Determination to weather through difficult situations. The blessings seem to be bountiful when you count them. God never leaves us unarmed or unprepared. So the saying goes 'God doesn't send us anything we can't handle'. As a student in life, we must be sure to pay attention to the lessons of our Teacher.

So many times we pass up opportunities to stock our arsenal. When we say "I just don't have time for that" or "I don't think I would like that" is the equivalent of skipping class. People come into our lives to share their strengths and weaknesses. When we turn our backs on them, we tell God 'no thanks'. 'Knowledge is power'.

Recently I realized I had put away a gift I received from God and forgotten about it. Back in middle school, many years ago, I had a principal who was known as 'Smiling Chuck' by the students. We never called him that to his face, but I don't think he would have minded. I only recall one time he didn't smile. It was while he was reprimanding the student body for bad behavior during an assembly. As one of the kids who didn't misbehave, It was very comforting to see 'Smiling Chuck' smiling later that day. I always wanted to be a 'Smiling Joe'.
It took years. Keeping a smile on your face takes work. The muscles tighten into that bland, blank look over the years making the smile harder to achieve as we get older. It wasn't until about eight years ago, when I had a new customer service job. My supervisor told me "and don't forget to smile". I did. The first couple of days I would come home from work and my face would be sore. I though about 'Smiling Chuck' and pondered if he went home at the end of the day and put his on ice. As the days went by I found it got much easier. Often I was smiling and nobody was around to see it. And it spread. Whether I was at work, shopping or out walking, people would smile at me and say hello. It's a simple welcome sign to your soul. When people see it, they know they can approach you. I was often asked is I ever stopped smiling. A year and a half ago I was able to thank 'Smiling Chuck' for his inspiration.
Last week I was waiting in a busy hallway for a seminar. People kept passing me by looking very glum. No smiles. I missed the smiles of strangers. It has been a tough year for everyone. Then I realized that I had taken the smile on my face for granted. It was no longer there. It seemed to have just disappeared. I hadn't realized that I was not smiling. So I forced the facial muscles to do their job once again and I could feel their need to exercise. It only took a couple of moments until the smile was returned. That hallway became a much more pleasant place. When God gives you a gift and asks you to use it, He always thanks you. Passing out smiles doesn't take much effort. And the return is priceless.
This is just one of the gifts I know I must use on my mission. It may not be something that will change the world, but it will make parts of the world a bit more pleasant. God gave me a reminder of how valuable it is. He also reminded me how much it is needed today. Life often gets complicated. We lose focus on the big picture. But faith will allow us to see the reminder God sends us to get back on mission. Our Teacher never gives up on us!