1. If you ever need an ego boost, babysit. I walked into the kids' house with frizzy hair, a faded old t-shirt, chipped nails, circles under my eyes, and barely any makeup. Oversleeping does no favors for my appearance in the mornings. I'm still amazed at the absolute joy that can be brought about two children no older than six. One of the kids seriously just showered me with compliments the whole day. "Your hair is sooo pretty!" "I really like your nails!" "I just love you!" All I had to do to hear any of this was show up at their house. I didn't buy them a gift, or make them an extravagant lunch, or take them to a theme park. I just showed up, and that was enough. (Luke 18:15-17)
2. Sometimes, you have to let go of a good thing so that something better can bloom. I love hibiscus flowers, but I've only recently gotten into actually trying to keep flowers around the house alive. My mom and I planted some about a week ago, and when I went out the other day, I noticed that some of the beautiful blooms on them had withered. Initially, I was so frustrated that I could not keep this silly plant alive, but my mom simply pulled the faded flower off of its stem. What was she thinking!? Surely there was a way to revive the flower! When she saw my expression, she was quick to explain, "That's how they live. The flower blooms, shrivels, falls, and then a new one grows." (Philippians 3:12-14)
3. Listen to people. They need it as much as you do. My grandfather had a doctor's appointment in Little Rock the other day, and neither he nor my grandmother are extremely safe drivers anymore. Now, I've had a fender-bender (or two...) and my fair share of close calls, but for some reason, my family decided that I should be the designated driver. I can't say I was extremely optimistic about the two-hour drive, but almost immediately, my grandmother began chatting away. She told me about the hardships of her life and the joys that came with it. One in particular was the fall of her first marriage. She had married young, and after her son was born with CP, her husband cheated, became an alcoholic, and divorced her. A few years (and a couple of tears) later, she met a man named Jim, and she had "a good twenty years with him, before he died." About six years ago, she married my grandfather, who goes with her to visit her son in the nursing home almost daily. She doesn't get to tell her story to very many people, but here she was, opening up to an eighteen-year-old step-granddaughter. It's definitely a humbling realization. (Galations 6:2)
4. A smile is a glorious thing. Ever have one of those downright crappy days? And then you smile at someone? And they smile back (because smiles are contagious, you know)? And that makes you smile a real smile, because the contagiousness of your smile hit them, and bounced right back to you? And then you actually feel like there is a single sliver of hope that maybe your life isn't near a bad as it had been only a few moments before that smile? Yeah, it's kind of like that. =] (Proverbs 15:13)
5. Never underestimate the power of a kind word. Your mother said it, your grandmother said it, even your great aunt said it. Now, I'm saying it. Be nice. I had a drink with a friend after church (don't worry; it was a sweet tea). We got on the subject of how others influence us, and one of the things he told me was that the daily "Hi! How are you?" that he received in high school was what kept him going through his parents' divorce. That simple interaction made all the difference. (Proverbs 15:1)
Have a blessed day!
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