Smiling Eyes
Andrew Fox of Clay Cross, Derbyshire, England
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. -Psalm 67:1-4
I had gone to exchange some money into foreign currency. For some reason there was a problem with the computer, and we were told it would take several minutes to get things up and running again. I decided to wait, as did a number of others who had also come into the shop to exchange currency.
So there we were, a small group of strangers, simply waiting. This was before everyone had a cell phone, so we couldn’t pass the time checking emails and Facebook posts. There was little else to do but to talk to each other.
I don’t remember who came up with the idea, but we soon found ourselves playing a game of guessing each other’s profession. The professions were easier to guess for some people than others, but everyone was struggling to even get close to what I did. Eventually I had to inform them that I was a church minister.
To be honest I no longer remember anything about the people who were there or even what their professions were. But the one thing I do remember is the question that one of them asked me, “What is it you Christians have that makes your eyes smile?”
What a wonderful question. If I remember correctly, before I was able to answer the question, the computer sprang back into life and everyone’s focus switched back to the main reason they had come in. But since that day, I have often thought about creating a list entitled, “I’m a Christian, and the reason my eyes smile is…” Maybe, it’s a list you could make for yourself today.
Prayer Phrase
God is here today. (“Dios est\xc3\xa1 aqu\xc3\xad” CCS 150)
Spiritual Practice
Breathing in the Spirit
Find a comfortable but alert position and begin to breathe deeply. With each breath, feel yourself relax, releasing anything that feels constricting. Imagine that each breath is the wind of the Spirit moving through your being, stirring up what is most alive in you. Relax into the flow of the Spirit and notice what awareness or invitation emerges.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
