PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

December 31, 2023

SMILE MORE

On my way to a doctor’s appointment in South Bend, Indiana, I noticed the following message on a sign in front of a dentist’s office. “Life is short.  Smile while you still have teeth.”

I received a Christmas card/birthday greeting from Charlie Mascus, a friend from high school.  He included the following printed message.  “Time is only a place, and we all have our place in Time!  I treasure our friendship and the times we had together!  Hope you had a great birthday on the 17th.  Take care and keep smiling!”

The above two messages remind me of several scriptures.  “The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away (Psalm 90:10).” “As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.  But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103:15-17).”  Both of these passages are a reminder that compared to the eternity of God and ages of the universe our lives are relatively short.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we read “For everything there is a season, and time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).”  In his Christmas/birthday card Charlie recalls the seasons that we spent together as high school and college students.  There were weekly evening plays, bowling, and school activities.  As I was reading his card and thinking of the times we spent to together, a smile broke out across my face.

The end of one year and the start of another is a good time to take stock of one’s life and make resolutions for the coming year.  The above two messages would suggest a good place to begin is to resolve to smile more in 2024.  They also suggest at least two reasons to do so: remembering good memories from the past and doing something on our “to do” list that we have been putting off.

Be intentional to spend more time in 2024 thinking about pleasant memories and experiences from the past.  Holidays and special occasions are a good time for this.  Around my house I have objects that bring back memories associated with them.

The message in front of the dentist office could be taken to mean don’t put off doing the things you enjoy or are on your “to do” list, because time is short and you may not ever get around to them.  And when you do them you will have reason to smile.  In 2024 check off three or four items on your “to do” list.  Doing such is sure to bring a smile.

In 1928 Larry Shay, Mark Fisher, and Joe Goodwin wrote a song, “When you’re smiling,” that was popular when I was growing.  The piece begins “When you’re smiling the whole world smiles with you.”  One of the results of our smiling more in 2024 is that others will smile more.  Smiling is infectious.  It can spread like wildfire.

Life is short.  Smile more!!!

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)