This is World Smile Day.

Have you ever had one of those days when everyone seems to be in a bad mood? When that happens, we feel yucky—the bad mood seems to spread from person to person. Smiles are rare on days like that.

On the other hand, think of the difference a smile makes. Imagine you’re walking home from school after a hard day. Head down, you’re shuffling along. Coming toward you is someone you haven’t seen for a couple of days. This person greets you by name and with a huge smile. Immediately you feel better, and you may even smile back.

If a bad mood is contagious, smiles are even more so. When you smile at someone, that person probably will return the smile. And the smiling will help raise your mood, even if it’s just a tiny bit.

“Isn’t that phony?” you ask. “Should I smile even when I don’t feel like it?”

That’s a good question. The secret is to think of a reason to smile. You will feel like smiling when you remember everything good that God is doing in your life.

You’re reading this, so God must have given you sight. He gave you the ability to learn to read. And where did you get this book? If it was a gift, God gave you someone who thought enough of you to buy something for you. If you bought it yourself, then God gave you the money and the time and the opportunity.

Those reasons for smiling may seem small, but they’re important. Add to that list your other physical and mental abilities, family members and friends, and church, school, special groups, clothes, food, entertainment, and transportation. Don’t forget love, peace, freedom, and friendship.

But the best gift of all is Jesus. He left Heaven to live and die to pay for you, so you could have forgiveness and eternal life. Even on the worst day, that’s a reason for joy, and a reason to smile!

For sure God has smiled on you—pass it on.

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you (Numbers 6:25).

To Do

This is an easy one. For the next 24 hours, try smiling at everyone you meet. Watch how they react. Then thank God for one of his amazing gifts to you.

Also on this day

This is National Come and Take It Day. (I hope “it” is free!)

1921—The World Series was broadcast on radio for the first time.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.