Smiles Are Free
By Christy Lowman
Burke County
Somewhere in that state of in-between sleep and awake, in the wee early morning hours, I thought of a quote. Beware this quote is a little corny, but it is something I’ve been striving to do more often. “Smiles are free. Hand them out to everyone.”
I do not smile enough. Why? I don’t know really. I have absolutely no reason not to smile, the Lord has blessed me beyond measure. I have a great family, a roof over my head, food, and water. There are so many people who do not have these basic things. Even in my darkest hour, I have a reason to smile because Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Why am I not constantly smiling?
A smile on my face should be a testament to how good God is and all of His magnificent glory! It should make others want to know what I know, which is Jesus. So, this is my personal challenge: to smile every chance I get. What about you? Do you smile often?
Did you know that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile?
Believe it or not, God made an animal that keeps a smile on his face all day long. In fact, his smile is permanent. This animal is the cute and sweet Quokka. He is a marsupial and belongs to the same family as kangaroos. They have a pouch in the front that their baby called a “Joey,” lives in for 6 months. They are the size of a small cat weighing around 5.5-11 pounds and hop around like kangaroos. Quokkas also can climb trees for food.
Quokkas are found mostly on the Rottnest Island off of West Australia. The island got its name from the Dutch explorer, William de Vlamingh, who discovered the island in 1969. The word Rottnest means “rat nest.” He named the island this because when he saw the quokkas and the kangaroos there and thought they were giant rats. Thankfully that was not the case! Can you imagine rats the size of kangaroos?
Quokkas are nocturnal that sleep under the protection of spikey plants during the day. At night they eat leaves, stems, grass, and bark. Their favorite food is a small shrub called guichenotia ledifolia.
Quokkas can survive one month without drinking water. If food is scarce, they are able to survive on the fat that is stored in their tails for energy until they find food.
Quokkas are also called short-tailed wallabies. They have grayish-brown fur, small round ears, and little black noses that accompany their adorable smile.
Not only is this wallaby the most smiling animal in the world, but also the happiest. It’s true that smiling all the time will change your mood when you’re unhappy.
Smiles are also contagious, meaning your smile will cause others to smile and be happy as well.
It has been proven that smiling relieves stress and tension as well as lowering your blood pressure.
There are many benefits for you and others by doing this simple gesture, so every chance you get, hand out a smile to others and let it be a living testimony to draw them closer to Christ. Be kind, and smile!
Dear Lord, please help us remember to smile a lot. I thank you for giving us the ability to smile so we can use it as a part of our testimony. I pray that others will see our smiles and that they become contagious and cause them to smile and be happy too. I pray that you will be able to use our smiles for Your glory and as a way to bring others closer to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” Proverbs 15:30
“A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:13-15
Bibliography
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/quokka/
https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/facts-about-the-quokka/
https://www.verywellmind.com/top-reasons-to-smile-every-day-2223755
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Christy Lowman is a Christian author and illustrator that lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing and illustrating books for all ages. Some of her short stories are published with Guideposts and HCI. Christy gives all the glory to God in everything she does. A portion of every book sold from the Small Bible Character Series will be donated to battle human trafficking. If you enjoy her books, “like’ her author page on Facebook and let her know! You can buy her books at //www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChristy+Lowman&s=relevancerank&text=Christy+Lowman&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1. You can reach her at //www.facebook.com/authorChristyLowman/
or christyssoaps@yahoo.com
You can read more Christian news from Christy here.
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