At church, our 6-year-old son Ben joined his brothers up front for the children’s sermon.  Our pastor began to tell a story about a bicycle.  At the word “bicycle,” Ben’s face lit up.  There he sat with his brothers and friends grinning from ear to ear.  I dare say that it is so very rare that you ever see an adult smile like that.  So sincere.  So energetic.  For whatever reason, happiness was ignited within him.

Sitting in our pew (Mind you, it’s our pew.  Don’t even think about sitting in “our pew.”), looking at Ben, seeing his smile, his cute Kindergarten face,  freckles spilling over the bridge of his nose like sprinkled cinnamon, and joy pouring out from within him, it triggered a thought.  There was our happy 6-year-old.  He has yet to have anger, frustration, and pain calcify his emotions.  His bliss has no barrier.  It flows from him without hesitation.

Let that be a reminder to us.  A reminder for each of us to minimize the hurt in our lives.  Don’t let it kill the joy.  There are so many things for which to be thankful.  So many things that are a source of happiness.  Resist the negativity, focus on the good.  Eventually, the smiles will shine through, much like those of a 6-year-old thinking about bicycles.

Spider-man socks.  Another source of smiles.