Find Peace: A 5-Day Plan For MomsSample

Ariana looked around the walls of the sunroom. Her friend had hung frame after frame of family beach pictures. They spanned the years, starting with the kids as little, barely-walking toddlers to now taller-than-their-parents teenagers. But she was momentarily puzzled. She recognized the kids and the husband, but who was the woman with them? Embarrassed, she quickly realized it was her friend! Of course—who else would it be?

The issue was that her friend was smiling in the pictures. In everyday life, her friend rarely had a smile on her face, instead hosting a slightly dissatisfied expression. Which was why Ariana didn’t immediately recognize this lovely, joyful, smiling woman as her. I wonder if she realizes just how beautiful—inside and out—her smile makes her look, Ariana thought with a tinge of judgment.

Suddenly, she remembered something that recently happened at her own job. She was walking down the hallway, deep in thought, when a male coworker stopped her.

“Can I ask you something?” he said. “Is there a reason you don’t like me?” He went on to explain that Ariana gave him a weird look—almost a scowl—whenever they passed each other.

“What? You thought I didn’t like you?” Ariana asked incredulously. “I like you a lot!”

“Oh, okay,” her colleague said. “I guess you are just thinking serious thoughts, and I read it the wrong way. Never mind.”

Now, standing in her friend’s sunroom, Ariana realized she was pretty serious and focused at work. Being serious all the time was probably as off-putting to others as the dissatisfied expression her friend wore. Even more important, she thought with chagrin, having a default “serious” countenance was seen as being negative, which meant her life was certainly not reflecting the love of Christ or the joy of following Him.

And that might even be the case at home. She was already worried that her teenage son might feel like she was constantly judging him, when what he most needed was kindness and encouragement.

Ariana decided that her countenance needed to reflect on the outside the love and joy she had on the inside. But the next few days, she was surprised to discover that it didn’t come easy. She literally had to train her face to lighten up. She began making it a practice to smile at people at work. And out in public. And at home with her family.

On the third day of making sure she smiled at her fifteen-year-old son, he looked at her and said, “What?”

“What do you mean?” Ariana asked.

“Why are you looking at me that way these days?” her son asked skeptically.

“Because I like you, and I’m proud of you,” she answered.

“Huh,” was the reply. But there was a little smile behind his eye rolling.

Ariana realized that sharing a genuine smile was a conscious, active choice she had to make. For a while, she felt silly. But she found that having a joyful expression actually made her feel more joyful. And the more she did it, the better results she got. 

And why wouldn’t she? Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. . . . [P]eople [do not] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, esv). The Spirit of God lives within us! We must never let His light be hidden by routinely stressed-out, serious, bored, or annoyed expressions. Let our expressions reflect the hope we have within.

PRAYER

Oh, Lord, thank You for the joy You give me and the love that is in my life because of You. Forgive me for so easily getting consumed with the details of the day that I focus on everything but You. Lord, help me feel Your joy and love every day. And let my expression and words reflect it. Make me a light to this world that so deeply needs it—especially to my own family. Amen.