Today’s quote in my daily quote book is “Let us always meet each other with a smile,” Mother Teresa. Wouldn’t that be great if the world tried to follow that advice. I’m thinking of the random smiles I shared with folks today. I was walking Penelope as a stranger walked down our street this morning. I said, “Good morning,” and so did he with a smile. Then he says, “That little dog yours?” I said, “Yes,” but I was thinking, laughing to myself, not saying it out loud, “No, just a random dog I leashed to take on a walk.”

Today was my monthly grocery pick up day at Wally World and the grocery attendant had a pretty smile as she checked my name at the car window. I talked to oldest sister-in-law and to my Florida cousin on the phone today and I could feel the warmth of their smiles through our conversations. Remember how exciting it was when our babies started smiling, so sweet to watch those first innocent smiles light up their precious faces.

I bet God has a beautiful warm smile that crinkles his worn wrinkled face and makes his blue eyes twinkle. God’s smile is represented through his love for us, in his joy of our creation. Proverbs 15:13 reads, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face.” A smile is full of hopeful optimism that gives the recipient a small peek at our soul. Paramahansa Yogananda writes, “Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.”

When God is pleased with us we feel the warmth of his smiles as blessings, an inner peace of contentment and unconditional love. Numbers 6:25-26 states, “The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Leigh Hunt writes, “Colors are the smiles of nature.” I think the earth blesses us with her smiles — magnificently colored sunrises and sunsets, wondrous music from the songbirds, warmth of her sun’s rays on our face, vivid colors of zinnia blooms — all her smiles complements of God.

A smile is the most important thing we wear. A genuine smile conveys warmth and friendliness and has the power to bring God’s light into someone’s darkness.

“If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.” — Maya Angelou