Smile of Morning
“Smile!” the photographer said.
My heart wasn’t in it, but I dutifully curved my lips into ‘wanna be’
smile. Then I wondered, who gave me my
first smile? Was it my mother? A panoramic view of my mother’s face flitted
through my mind. Somehow a smile was not
in evidence as much as her actions of joy.
She skipped and jumped even into her 80’s, expressing happiness….when
the bread rose just right, the apricots ripened on the tree, or when Dad hugged
her for no reason at all.
My heart wasn’t in it, but I dutifully curved my lips into ‘wanna be’
smile. Then I wondered, who gave me my
first smile? Was it my mother? A panoramic view of my mother’s face flitted
through my mind. Somehow a smile was not
in evidence as much as her actions of joy.
She skipped and jumped even into her 80’s, expressing happiness….when
the bread rose just right, the apricots ripened on the tree, or when Dad hugged
her for no reason at all.
Smiles are a body language
all their own. We love to see a baby
smile, chortle and laugh. It gives us
hope and our heart is renewed. No wonder
we celebrate a baby’s first smile as eagerly as learning to walk or talk. I remember watching new Grandparents speaking
a ‘new’ language in an attempt to coax that smile of their new grandchild into
existence. Baby’s first smile, smile of falling in love, smile of
parents proud, smile of achievement, smile of the joy of giving, the smile of answered
love with a smile, smile of remembering sweet God-given memories and many more
moments to smile.
all their own. We love to see a baby
smile, chortle and laugh. It gives us
hope and our heart is renewed. No wonder
we celebrate a baby’s first smile as eagerly as learning to walk or talk. I remember watching new Grandparents speaking
a ‘new’ language in an attempt to coax that smile of their new grandchild into
existence. Baby’s first smile, smile of falling in love, smile of
parents proud, smile of achievement, smile of the joy of giving, the smile of answered
love with a smile, smile of remembering sweet God-given memories and many more
moments to smile.
There are so many reasons not to smile in this journey of life. Pain, of many different kinds, assail us,
causing our joy of life to go into hiding.
Death, sickness, loss, pain are a few of the things that are not our
favorite experiences, and we wonder why. We wonder why we must go through these
hurtful things. We have forgotten our
first love…our first smile from God himself.
causing our joy of life to go into hiding.
Death, sickness, loss, pain are a few of the things that are not our
favorite experiences, and we wonder why. We wonder why we must go through these
hurtful things. We have forgotten our
first love…our first smile from God himself.
Yet God has made everything beautiful
for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but
even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but
even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
When did he plant eternity in the human heart? Then I read this, and I know. You made all the delicate, inner
parts of my body and knit me together
in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making
me so wonderfully complex! Your
workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched
me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in
the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was
born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment
was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13-16
parts of my body and knit me together
in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making
me so wonderfully complex! Your
workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched
me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in
the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was
born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment
was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13-16
As God created the earth on which we live, it is written, And God saw that it was good. Good?
Yes, Good…And good can not be said without smiling. When He formed us in the womb, I can hear Him
say, “It is Good”. You can’t say Good without smiling. Try it.
“It is Good!” My first smile, and
your first smile, came from God Almighty, the Sovereign One!
Yes, Good…And good can not be said without smiling. When He formed us in the womb, I can hear Him
say, “It is Good”. You can’t say Good without smiling. Try it.
“It is Good!” My first smile, and
your first smile, came from God Almighty, the Sovereign One!
God knew just what we
would live through, but He gives us hope and joy through these two verses from
Psalm 30:4-5. When I read these two
verses in the version, The Voice, I rejoice.
would live through, but He gives us hope and joy through these two verses from
Psalm 30:4-5. When I read these two
verses in the version, The Voice, I rejoice.
Sing, all you who remain faithful! Pour out your hearts to the Eternal with
praise and melodies; let grateful music fill the air and bless His Name. His wrath, you see, is fleeting, but His
grace lasts a lifetime. The deepest
pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile
of morning.
praise and melodies; let grateful music fill the air and bless His Name. His wrath, you see, is fleeting, but His
grace lasts a lifetime. The deepest
pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile
of morning.
Sing – sing what? Sing Praise and Melodies. Who
will sing? Those are to sing are
those who remain faithful, godly ones and His saints. What
do we sing with? With Thanksgiving
and remembrances of Him. Singing about Jesus
lifts the soul, “Worthy is the Lamb
who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.
will sing? Those are to sing are
those who remain faithful, godly ones and His saints. What
do we sing with? With Thanksgiving
and remembrances of Him. Singing about Jesus
lifts the soul, “Worthy is the Lamb
who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.
How long will the pain
last? It lingers through the night, it
lasts a moment, or but a moment.
English Standard Version gives us this in verse 5…. For his anger is but for
a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
last? It lingers through the night, it
lasts a moment, or but a moment.
English Standard Version gives us this in verse 5…. For his anger is but for
a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
Then comes my favorite
part….and it dawns on me why the morning is so full of promise and newness as
God steadfastly presents the miracle of a new day in the sunrise. Each day is the new page of our story in
Jesus. And why not choose to smile as we
read from His Word, in the early dawn?
His Presence peers over our shoulder as we read and learn of His Grace
and His Promises. Do you not know that
Jesus lovingly smiles, too? His love and
grace are His arms that He wraps around us and gives us hope and joy in every
circumstance.
part….and it dawns on me why the morning is so full of promise and newness as
God steadfastly presents the miracle of a new day in the sunrise. Each day is the new page of our story in
Jesus. And why not choose to smile as we
read from His Word, in the early dawn?
His Presence peers over our shoulder as we read and learn of His Grace
and His Promises. Do you not know that
Jesus lovingly smiles, too? His love and
grace are His arms that He wraps around us and gives us hope and joy in every
circumstance.
The pain and suffering of
the night disappear and we are left with the joy that comes with the morning. Weeping
may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
the night disappear and we are left with the joy that comes with the morning. Weeping
may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Have you hurt so deeply
that you wonder how long you can live with this hurt?
that you wonder how long you can live with this hurt?
The deepest pains may linger through
the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning….
the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning….
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