Sure. Passport photo day. Easy.
Unless you're Max. Cause the first thing the sweet lady said to us when she held up the camera was....DON'T SMILE.
Huh?
You DON'T want me to smile.
If you've known Max for ANY length of time, you'll know that he doesn't necessarily appreciate his mother's efforts at photography. He likes to TAKE pictures, but he doesn't love my enthusiasm in taking pictures OF him. And. He. Never. Smiles. I have to literally force (pronounced bribe) him to smile in any pictures he's in. So, today, when she said NOT to smile, that was his dream come true. He was pumped. Jack and I set our faces into a glare (I actually decided a smirk was a better look) and we were done in about two seconds. See? Easy.
Then it was Max's turn. Max's turn to FINALLY be able to NOT be expected to smile while getting his picture taken. He was so happy...... until she said, "Remember, don't smile....."
And then, he couldn't stop smiling. He giggled and guffawed and bit his bottom lip..... his eyes got all teary and he kept taking deep breaths.... his dream photo moment and all he could do was....SMILE!
Then I started giggling and Jack started laughing. The lady taking the picture got to chuckling and the person at the cash register got tickled. It was quite the scene in the Rite Aid...... It took several minutes for everyone to calm down.....and for Max to hold a "serious" pose long enough to snap ONE little picture.... and then we all started laughing again..... We left the Rite Aid smiling.....
And I started thinking..... that's what having JOY is all about. Even when the world says that there's nothing to smile about, there's joy. Even when there are lots of really good reasons not to laugh, there's joy. Even when everyone around you finds reasons not to be happy, there's joy. Even when there's sadness, there's joy.
That's weird, isn't it? To smile when there's every reason not to. But that's what living the abundant life is all about. We must find joy..... on purpose. We must look deeper than the day-to-day circumstances and hassles and to-do items and zone in on HIM. That's what I'm praying about this summer. Making time to sit at the feet of Jesus and..... well....that's it..... just sit at the feet of Jesus. And NOTHING. Cause that's where the joy is. It lives in Him. And so must I.
And although life is full of stresses and requirements and worries..... there's joy in the stillness at His feet. So, the next time the world tells you NOT to smile..... get tickled. Cause His joy can come out of you and spread right through the Rite Aid. Or wherever......
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