Smile, Jesus loves you!

At the end of a year people think about a lot of things: what happened and what is going to happen next year? There is a lot of sadness and a lot of unfulfilled things, but also some sense of accomplishment and achievement as well as hope for the future. We are creatures of hope, otherwise we won't carry on.
A great secret is thanksgiving. The root word of thanks in Greek, is 'think' - so if we think a bit we have a lot to give thanks for! Out of thanksgiving the new goals and objectives should arise naturally. The most important thing is to think of others as well, not just yourself.
I once asked Hilton, my youngest son, at the end of the U/11 rugby season, 'what was your greatest moment on the rugby field this season?' Without hesitation he said, 'when I beat the Sacs flyhalf and gave that pass to Ty to score his try!' I must admit I was somewhat surprised. I would have thought that his greatest moment was when he kicked the winning conversion in the last minute to win the game for his team! But he was not thinking of his own achievement but of his involvement in the team!
Jesus said we can learn much from little children and so I learned!
In this time of Christmas people are thinking about buying presents for others. It is a good thing, although we should have learned by now that we ought to have good will throughout the year and not only at the end!
A thank you here and there, a kind word to people who do dull, routine work such as cashiers and people at toll gates, could just brighten up someone's day. A word of cheer, a joke shared, a piece of encouragement at the right time, a smile - these things cost us nothing and sometimes they are the greatest gifts!
Let your friendliness be known, Christ is at hand. This apostolic command has much substance in it. When we let our friendliness be known, people will experience Christ, close at hand.
Well, sometimes we have to be friendly to ourselves as well. We all do stupid things and even things we are ashamed of and wonder why on earth did I do it? It is painful to be reminded just how human we are at times. But I think these things are allowed to happen so that we do not think of ourselves more highly as we ought to think. Pride is an over estimation of oneself and under estimation of others. Inferiority is just the opposite. Humility is therefore a balanced, truthful estimation of one's self.
But the problem is that most people do not know who they are! Especially christians who go to seminars to discover their purpose in life! I am amazed how gullible believers are! They try so hard to believe that they are easily deceived! Faith is not an effort - it is a gift! But because preachers make merchandise out of people believers are led astray by cunniningly devised schemes and programmes that eventually make slaves out of the redeemed of the lord!
Oh, we simply have to learn to be thankful and to trust the Lord for tomorrow.
The old adage is still true today: I don't know about tomorrow, but I know who holds tomorrow!
So, saint, think for a while what is there to be thankful about during the past year and begin to place your trust in God for what lies ahead. This should round the year off and you will find that He always crowns the year with goodness!
Smile, Jesus loves you!