Made My Day

Noah and I were out running errands today when we stopped at Boston Market for lunch, which was overpriced and NOT very yummy, yet it turned out to be an excellent choice. Here's why...

First, the man ringing us up at the register commented on what a happy boy Noah was.

While we were eating, Noah was smiling and making silly faces at two workers who were restocking the nearby condiment station. They waved to him, but were talking to each other in Spanish so I couldn't understand what they were saying. Later, one of the workers came up to our table with several packets of crayons and white paper. With a big smile, he laid them in front of Noah and walked away.

As we were leaving, we passed by two elderly ladies, probably in their late seventies, whom Noah had been flirting with throughout our entire lunch. One of them said to me, "I have to tell you that your son just made my day!" 

Wow!

In that moment I felt so proud and happy and blessed. This amazing little boy was making people smile and bringing joy to their day just by being himself. And I am the lucky one who gets to be his mom!

As our day went on, I couldn't get that woman's warm, aged smile or her heartfelt words out of my mind. As I thought about how much that small encounter meant to me, I was struck by how God must feel the same way when His kids, you and me, bless one another. What joy and pride He must feel when we bring light and life to someone else just by being ourselves and letting the joy He has put in our hearts shine forth.

Today, Noah blessed another person by being the child God made him.

Sometimes it's so easy to get bogged down in life by all the day's to-do's or your own laundry list of complaints or the little injustices and annoyances that creep into the day. But what would happen if we focused less on that and more on being the person  God created us to be?

I hope to follow Noah's example and allow my inner joy to shine a little brighter. Maybe I can make a stranger's day, too.