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The class of eight year old children that I have the privilege of teaching includes a real hotch potch of personalities. There are those who know they are loved and special. These children are secure, and able to take in their stride the few knocks that life has so far dealt them. Others are less secure, needing reassurance, perhaps when their family is having problems, and they are concerned about what might happen. A few live lives that are sad, chaotic, and miserable. These children are not at all secure, not knowing what sad thing might happen next.
One such girl, we’ll call her Helen, is particularly sad. Most days she comes to school with a sad tale of something that has happened to her, and my heart bleeds for her. A few weeks ago she came in looking like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Not wanting to talk, she just sat in my classroom, the picture of misery. “Can you find a little smile this morning?” I asked her. She shook her head. What to do, I wondered, how could I help her?
“Look,” I said. I fished in my pocket. “In my pocket I keep a spare smile. Would you look after it for me?” As I spoke, I reached over to place the smile on her face. Sure enough, there it was, a big smile with a giggle. Throughout the day she often lost the smile, and the rest of the class joined me in helping her to look for it! Was it on the floor, or hiding inside her sock or her shoe? We could always find it- in fact, it usually made its way back to her face without help!
At home time, I asked Helen if she would continue to look after the smile for me. “Take it home,” I suggested, “and when you go to bed, put it under your pillow. In the morning, fish it out and put it on. You can begin tomorrow with a smile! If something sad happens at home, remember that you have my smile with you!”
Home she went, with my smile, and came with in it the next day. Yes, she had begun her day with a smile!
It occurred to me that the smile was in some ways like the Holy Spirit. My prayer for Helen was that the smile would help her through the day, that it would, like the Holy Spirit, come along side to help. I am so glad that I don’t have to look under my pillow for Him, or search on the floor when I think I have lost Him! Though I may have to look for Him, He is always there, by my side!
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