Smiling Through Strange Times
Sonriendo Durante Los Tiempos Inusitados
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Sunday, May 31, 2020
It seems that every face has a mask — even the face on a sign! [Photographer: Mary Hunt Webb.*].
During the pandemic, many governors in the United States are requiring that everyone wear a mask in public. It could be worse because a friend in Italy reports that all citizens there must not only wear masks but gloves as well. However, many American states don't have the budget for law enforcement officers to stop people that are not wearing masks.
When I first started wearing a mask, I was in a grocery store where I passed the customer service counter as I was leaving. I automatically smiled at the two clerks behind the counter before I realized they could not see my smile. When I said as much to them, they replied, "Oh, but we can see it in your eyes!" They were correct in saying that because the skin around my eyes had crinkled up when I smiled. (I can't think of a better way to express it than with the phrase, "crinkled up").
If we think that no one can see our smiles behind our masks, we may be tempted to stop smiling. It may seem that there is little to smile about during a pandemic because smiling typically indicates friendliness, pleasure, happiness, or amusement. However, smiling can denote a basic level of contentment without regard to current circumstances. In Philippians 4:12, the Apostle Paul wrote, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (NIV)
When we know that God is in control of our lives and that He is our Source, then we can rest in that assurance and be content in it. That's because contentment is a long-term condition while happiness merely expresses temporary pleasure. Once we have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, then we can smile, even while wearing masks.
I don't have to tell you that this lady is smiling because you can see it in her eyes. [Photographer: Uncle Ray. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
It's clear to see that the lady in the photograph above is smiling because her smile involves more than just her mouth; her eyes got involved, too. She could have been peeking over a wall with only her eyes showing, and you could still have known that she was smiling because her eyes would be part of her overall expression.
A smile, then, doesn't start with the mouth. Instead, it starts with the eyes and works its way down to the mouth. If you have ever seen a woman try to smile while she was crying, you could tell that her eyes overwhelmed her mouth. Typically, our mouths follow what our eyes have begun. That's because, as Jesus said in Matthew 6:22, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light." (NIV)
In John 8:12, Jesus also said, "…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV) Therefore, He is the Source of our light in the same way that electricity is the source of light for an electric lamp. When we are plugged in to Jesus, then our light shines out through our smiles!
Take my word for it — my husband and I are smiling in this photo. [Photographer: Maxine Sutton.]
BIBLE VERSES USED IN THIS POSTING
Philippians 4:12 — I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (NIV)
Filipenses 4:12 — Sé vivir humildemente, y sé tener abundancia; en todo y por todo estoy enseñado, así para estar saciado como para tener hambre, así para tener abundancia como para padecer necesidad. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Matthew 6:22 — The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. (NIV)
Mateo 6:22 — La lámpara del cuerpo es el ojo; así que, si tu ojo es bueno, todo tu cuerpo estará lleno de luz. (Reina-Valera 1960)
John 8:12 — When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV)
Juan 8:12 — Otra vez Jesús le habló diciendo: Yo soy la luz del mundo; el que me sigue, no andará en tinieblas, sino que tendrá la luz de la vida. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Be sure to wash your cloth mask after you return home from every outing in public. Place a mark on the inside of your mask so that you won't accidentally put the germy exterior against your face when you take it off and put it on again. [Photographer: Gabriele Lässer. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
* Please do not use our original photos without our permission. These include photos by Mary Hunt Webb, Morris Webb, Jr., Morris Webb, Sr., Maxine Sutton, and C.B. Hunt. Thank you.
