Cheryl Burke

I always need to remind myself, not to wait for anyone else to smile first, or to give a great big, Howdy-Welcome, as the folks behind the eyes you look into, just may be a bit more shy than you, and will respond accordingly to your encouragement.

I found this to be so true in an RV park we spent some time at, I would attempt to make eye contact with someone, one lady in particular comes to mind, I was waiting at a park bench outside the facilities, she came out of the lady's room, I tried to smile, she was so quick to glance my way and back, that she never even noticed my attempt.

Rick came around the corner about that time, with no idea of what had just taken place, calls out a hearty, "Good Morning", the lady turns, has glow in her eyes and proceeds to talk with us so amicably, it made me realize, I had not gone the extra mile to bring her out of her private self and into a warm conversation.

In the scenario I tell above, the point is, I took a better look at how important going the extra mile is, I had made a lighthearted attempt to smile and be friendly, I didn't take it any further, after not getting the response I expected. Being left with a feeling of, "Hmmm, she must not be very open to conversing", I was willing to pass up the opportunity. In this way I was wrong, for quite to the contrary, I had made a judgement call because I had not tried hard enough to show her that I was open to being friendly, yet, when a second attempt had been made, she responded with an eagerness to converse.

New reminder for me to go the extra mile to show openness for sharing and caring!

When was the last time you can remember, that you went out of your way, to be the first to show love to a stranger? It may be that the only thing you had to do, was to pass along a smile! Can you remember? Recount to yourself, how nice it felt to know that you lifted someone else' life just a bit!

Continue to pass along those small blessings, then watch how they grow in return. You cannot out give God, He is the author of love, He will take those small attempts at sharing and turn them into magnificent springboards for reaching the world with His presence.

I know that love is everywhere, ever present, I also know that we are all part of the big picture communicating that love and sharing it amongst one another, in order that we all might be blessed by its power.