sMILE--The Best is Yet to Come!

I know you probably think I pressed my CAP lock down by mistake and spelled SMILE wrong. No, it's just something I wanted you to think about. That the word "mile" is in smile.

We all have some place we either want to be, plan to be, need to be, don't want to be, etc. We are traveling on a journey called life. On this journey, we are sure to run into pot holes, confusings road signs, detours, missed on- and off ramps. A journey of a thousand miles truly does begin with our first step. Oh, it's easy to smile when things are going great. No problem to smile when we see a beautiful scenery stretching before us. But what do you do when construction has you sitting and waiting for what seems like forever? When a downpour comes out of nowhere and your windshield wipers don't even seem to be helping? What do you do when you get lost along the way? When you're not sure if you're even headed in the right direction?

SMILE anyway.

What? Vanessa are you crazy! You want me to smile anyway? Yes. No matter what "state" you find yourself in along this journey, learn to be content enough to smile. Not content to just taking it (you are not a doormat), but content in knowing that God has already mapped things out. Content to know that you won't remain stuck where you are, as long as you keep the right attitude. Content to know: "This too shall pass!"

You see, I have learned that it's hard to be down, depressed, sad (pick whatever word you feel best describes the negative feelings we all sometimes deal with) when you're smiling. Try it the next time someone says something to hurt your feelings. SMILE. Try it when you have decided to throw (or attend) the next pity party. SMILE. There's something about smiling that releases wonderful feelings inside of you. (Try it now.) If you want to laugh--then I say: Knock yourself out and have yourself a good "belly laugh!"

Because in the end, you have to know that God is STILL in control. If He allows you to come to it, He'll bring you through it. If there is anything you can learn from your experience, by all means don't leave empty handed. But if this is just a test, then pass your test with flying colors. sMILE as you stay on course. sMILE as you travel the road called life. Whatever is going on, you have to know: You're going to be all right! Now that's enough to smile a mile about.

Until next time...
Vanessa Davis Griggs