Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Smiling

A smile. A giggle. A laugh. These expressions of joy were only given to human beings. Can a cat smile? Have you ever heard a dog laugh? Try to imagine a giggling crocodile. Quite hard.

In my walk with God, I realized that a smile, a giggle, a laugh are windows to one’s soul. I formed the belief that only those who are truly close to God could do these things sincerely.

In the different worlds I live in, I encounter various kinds of people. Wherever I find myself, I try to find friends. I do not look for much. Not social standing. Not academic accomplishments. Not big fat bank accounts. Not physical attractiveness.

I search for a kindred soul. I look for similar interests. I consider beliefs. Also, I try to find sincere souls. For a sincere person will always be true to you. Not just showing one facet, but like a diamond, you can see all of its parts.

But how do I find this person? The first step? Through a simple sieve.

When they greet me, I look for their smiles. It must be a smile that starts from the lips and goes up to the eyes. From the window of their eyes, I get a glimpse of their heart.

I listen to the human sounds for joy. I love hearing the quiet confident chuckle or the suppressed joyful giggle of a person. I love hearing the all-out laughter.

I dislike the fake laugh. Or even the forced chuckle.

But sometimes, in order to protect ourselves and the people around us, we tend to do these things. Force a smile. Giggle nervously. Coerce oneself to laugh cheerfully.

My wish though is always to give and to receive sincerity.

Greet me sincerely. Please smile.

Chuckle. Giggle. Laugh. Truthfully.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"I love hearing the all-out laughter." how about a laughing hyena? hehehe. okey, jen, i hope this one makes you smile, or laugh - have you heard about the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962? it's a small village in Tanzania, Africa. language experts said the contagious laughter had nothing to do with humor, but the people there showed anxiety-related symptoms. "No human can laugh for more than about 20
seconds because laughing is such a strain on respiration." So, I'd rather hear the 10 seconds continuous sound of all-out laughter, than 30 minutes laughter of anxiety. Promise, i'll smile sincerely when i see you next time. tell me a joke and i'll give you my 10 seconds of all-out laughter. Thanks, jen, this entry reminds me of what my husband said when i did not smile almost the whole day "if you just smiled, it would have made a difference." Give everyone you meet a sincere smile, and the whole world will smile back. (is this longer than your entry? :-) )

Lion Chaser Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson (www.evotional.com)