{Hallways&Isles}

It is always funny how the Lord speaks to me.

While helping Momma out in her Library this past week, I was walking the hall on my way to the cafeteria. Minding my own and focused on my own thoughts.

As I looked up from the ground I noticed a custodian I had met previously, so I smiled at her. She smiled back half chuckling saying "You are always so Smile-y." Not knowing how to respond I said thank you. She then replied "You must have something to smile about." By that time I was at the door of the cafeteria, I smiled at her and quickly walked inside. My first thought to this encounter was, "Lady. You have no clue whats going on in my life. I have acted in plays all through out my school years. I can turn the smile on and off when ever I want. My heart is broken. I am not all smile-y."  Ouch. I know, I was harsh.

As I walked back into the hall headed back towards the Library, I ran into the Computer Science teacher who I had also met previously (I help my mom out in the Library alot during the summer.) I smiled at him. He asked "How are you?" and then very loudly sighed a frustrated sigh. I then chuckled saying "How are you doing?"  in a "I know how you feel tone." He chuckled and walked past.

Once I was back in the Library, those run-ins haunted me.

Both people seemed almost confused why I was smiling.

Heck, sometimes during the day I wonder why I'm smiling.

And then as the day wore on, my brain became busy thinking on other things, so those hallway encounters got set on the back burner.

Now fast forward to the next day.

I was in Target picking up a few things for the house and doing some clearance therapy for myself.

As I was walking through the pantry section, I noticed how absolutely busy every isle was.

It was starting to annoy me when every turn I made gave way to a road block.

I needed De cafe Tea packets and that was all I needed off this particular isle.

But you had a young couple (which they are annoying to me at this point, just because they were a couple in light of recent events) who were standing directly in front of the entrance of the isle and then you had a mom and her three daughters half way down spread across the width of the isle.

So I thought I would be smart and avoid the whole thing while going down the next isle and coming back the other direction.

Half way down the next isle, my brain registers that there is an older gentleman blocking the exit of the isle,

He was looking rather harsh and grumpy. 

I thought "Oh great, here we go again"

So I proceeded to the end of the isle till I couldn't any more and then politely asked excuse me and smiled.

He looked up from the bag of chips he was analyzing with great detail and said "Oh ya" in a brisk tone.

I then smiled again and went to go on my way.

As I was passing him he remarked "Nice smile by the way" in a lighter version of his brisk tone.

Almost to show a smile himself.

I said thank you quickly, and walked into the next isle.

I am sure he could see the shock on my face.

In that, I was instantly reminded of the Hallway encounters from the day before.

The Custodian, Computer Science teacher, and now this guy in the Pantry section at my local Target!

I felt the Lord tug at my heart,

You silly girl. Of course you have something to smile about. Not everything depends on the things that happen to you in this world. I am the reason you should continue to smile. I know everything that will happen to you on this earth. I have a plan for you. You don't know what that is yet, but that's how I like it. You have to trust in me. Completely. I have you just where I want you. Now smile, because you share My love with others even when you are sad and down.

And as we worshiped this morning in Church : "Child of weakness watch and pray. Find in me thine all in all."

Whoa.

How easily I can lose my place.

Of course, He is the reason I need to smile.

For His heartache is far worse than mine will ever be.

He ached for my ransom on that cross.

He aches for those who will never know him.

He carries the burdens of the world on his shoulders.

How can my heartache even come close?

If He chooses to use my smile to brighten other's days and make them wonder why I am always so "Smile-y" even when I don't feel like it, I need to smile.

We as Christians exude His love, we can't chose to not show it.

It isn't our love to freely chose who to give it to.

He may not have even used my smile for me that day, he could have only made me smile because the ones I encountered needed a smiling face to see.

Who knows.

I am in no place to interpret the reasons God does certain things.

All I know is, I was blessed by this.

And I pray the others were as well. 

****Update****

Yesterday, I was blessed again by my previous hallway encounter, the Computer Science teacher.

While helping Momma in the Library, he came into Chat.

During our time he mentioned that last week (the week we crossed paths in the hallways) that his Cousin who was serving over seas was killed in combat and last week was the young man's funeral.

He expressed how much it affected him and how hard last week was for him.

It just once again cements the fact that we need to be in the moment.

Worship God.

Always keep our eyes out, because we never know what others are going through.

And continue to smile.