Behind the smile





via We [heart] it 

  
 Have you ever walked down an aisle in Wal-Mart and suddenly ran smack-dab right into a person with eyes that made you weep inside from the pain you saw there? What about the woman at the gas station who stood staring off into the distance with a face that spoke of deep pain and heartache?
And what about that teenager with the downcast eyes, and slow footsteps?

My Dad and I helped to serve dinner at a homeless shelter here in town last night, and it was such an amazing time. There were so many people there, and as I sat there smiling at them, and watching them, what I saw made my heart ache.
There were all different kinds of people there, some with faces that seemed almost stunned, numb, as if they weren't sure how they ever ended up being in such a situation. Some seemed careless, and carefree, but I wonder how easy it was for those to fall asleep that night. Some were the kind of men that most people would consider scary, but when you looked into their eyes it wasn't anything dark you saw there... what I saw in some of them was only pain... regret...
Some seemed to only want to eat, and high-tail it out of there...
One man in particular caught my attention.  He was polite to us, but never said more than he had to, and when I looked into his eyes I saw such pain. That doesn't even seem the right word for it, because I what I saw was something deeper than that... his eyes seemed dead... he had a wedding band on his finger, and I can only imagine what his story is, but I know he has one, just as every single person that we meet does. I can't bear the though that that man, and all the others out there might think that no one cares... that God doesn't love them; that they are all alone.
I wish I could make them all smile, and more than that, I wish I could make them see that they are loved more than they could ever imagine...
People with broken lives, and hearts are all around us... they don't have to be at the shelter, or under bridges... they could be at your church, in your soccer team, or at school.
At any rate, this is something God has really placed on my heart lately, and I just wanted to share some of my thoughts with you....
I know this is getting kinda long, but my heart is so full with this, and I'd just like to share these little portions from a book that I've been reading lately-- (the Divine Dance, by Shannon. K. Primcerio)

"Life is one big moment made up of many tiny moments, and those tiny moments do matter most. Even just the expression on your face may speak to the souls of those who are watching you dance. Your smile and the light in your eyes may be enough for them to take notice."

"As you dance, let your sensitivites make you sensitive to others. Let your passions be insights into the dreams of those around you. Meet them on their level. Find out what they are about. Think of all the people who have touched your life and don't even know it. Your name is probably on the lists of a surprising number of people. Of course, they may recall your name for either positive or negative reasons. Is your name there because you danced into their hearts or because you danced on them?"

Most of all, let us seek God with our whole hearts, and deepen our relationship with Him-
Well, thanks for reading, and I hope this blessed you in some way!
Your friend, and sister in Christ-
Amy Jane