I'm sitting here eating cake batter and thinking about smiles.
I love smiles (and cake batter). Who doesn't (like smiles, I mean)? I think that of all the things God made humans capable of, the act--no, art-- of smiling is one of the best. And since there are tons of cute quotes our there about smiles:
..True, right? I mean, even the very spelling of the English word, S-M-I-L-E, looks like a smile (I love it when words do that..). So they must be important. :)
Nevertheless, smiles have their shortcomings, too. The only thing I don't like about them is how easily they can deceive us. It is just so easy to put on a smile and pretend everything is just fine in the world.
..Or is it?
Awhile ago, a girl confessed to me that she "hated her smile." I told her that she had a beautiful smile, which she did. But what I didn't tell her was that it wasn't as beautiful as it could be, for one reason: her lips smiled, but her eyes didn't. And it showed.
It's crazy to think about it, but our eyes, our "windows into the soul," truly are exactly that. Some people are experts at hiding their feelings, but even the best can't fake a genuine smile. I love meeting people who's joy--even when they're going through the roughest of times--spills out of them everywhere...through their smile.
Habits are usually bad things. But wouldn't it be lovely to get in the habit of smiling--not just with our lips, but with our eyes, too? I know it's not as easy as it sounds, especially when days are rough. But God promises to give us His joy if we ask for it, and I think smiling comes along with the package.
So ask yourself--do your eyes smile when you do? :)
-lucia
We can tell if someone is really smiling or they're just trying to conceal something behind their smile by looking at their eyes. I know, because sometimes I smile just to stop people from wondering what goes on inside my head, but if they examine carefully and look into my eyes, they'll know that there's something I'm trying to hide.
ReplyDeleteBut most people are ignorant.
Thank you for the encouragement, Lucia! Yes, so true! Smiles can be very deceiving and we have to be so careful to guard ourselves, and only smile when we MEAN IT! *SMILES* :)
ReplyDeleteMay the LORD bless you daily as you trust in HIM! I love you!
Hugs,
Martha Joy
Psalm 119:151
P.S. Keep smiling! ;D
I think I know what you mean. When I am smiling for a self-portrait or a family photo, it looks fake because of my eyes. But when I am laughing at something funny or smiling/blushing, you can tell it's real. Thanks for putting this into great words.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Jessica
:) :D ;) ♥
ReplyDeleteI love how your posts make me think...I'm definitely inspired to smile with my eyes now. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeletexoxo.
simi
First of all, I love smiles and cake batter, too! :D I do smile with my eyes. They are the best kind of smiles to see.
ReplyDeleteEmail: katislittlecorner@gmail.com
Blog: katislittlecorner.blogspot.com
I love this - thanks for posting!! :)
ReplyDelete~Rachel <3
Great thought! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOlivia
I tagged you Lucia! http://maryminship.blogspot.com/2012/01/tell-me-about-yourself-award.html
ReplyDeleteMary
Truth is, my eyes probably don't simle as much as they should. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't you love how words look like what they are? I always thought that smile looked like it was smiling, but I never thought I would meet somone who shared that opinion. :)
hugs,
~Bree
That is SO true... in our culture it is so common to {really} deceive people into thinking that we are just fine; when really, we aren't! We are human; and we all struggle with things.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this Lucia. May the Lord help us to be JOYFUL in Him... :)
Blessings,
Mikailah~
"Eyes are the window to the soul," very, very true!
ReplyDeleteLucia,
ReplyDeleteI definately know what you're talking about! A smile with the eyes (even without the mouth!) is so lively and cheerful! I always aim to smile with both my eyes and my mouth.
God bless you!
Love,
Joy :D
Lovely thoughts!
ReplyDeleteHi Lucia!
ReplyDeleteI finally have the US money for you, (!) and was wondering if you'd be able to email me your postal address? You sent it to me a while back but since I've changed my email I lost it. My new email address is alicebethany@y7mail.com
Thank you so much! I'll post it to you within the next couple of days.
God Bless!
Love Alice
P.S. No need to publish this comment. And by the way, this is Alice from 'Alice's Place', in case you thought I was some random asking for your address :P xo
I love this. When my poppop was alive he would tell me "You smile with your eyes Laura." I've never forgotten that.
ReplyDeleteWow, this was really insightful. Good thought! :)
ReplyDeleteSmiling with your eyes definitely feels better than when you plaster a half-hearted "mouth smile" to your face and tell people your happy. ;)
~Kaylee
www.whateverrblog.blogspot.com
I never really knew what that meant until my Daddy told me that my eyes smiled. then he said how eyes are the window into the soul so you can see when it is only the lips smiling, you can easily see that the heart is not.
ReplyDeleteSmiling eyes are the best, hands down. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I left a comment on Anna Gray's blog Bella Vita on the post Homosexuality Part 2 challenging your comment. It's just my personal opinion, so feel free to argue. :) also, it's not my intent to sound rude. :)
John 1:4
ReplyDeleteIn Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
When we have Jesus he makes our eyes smile:-)
I once shared in a Sunday School class I taught that smiling is one of the easiest ways to share joy with others. I loved this post, and especially the last two paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I love the new header, too - very cute!