Phil 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude
should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. " NIV
Have you ever met someone who was so friendly that you still remember them years
later, even though your encounter may have been brief? If not, come visit St.
Pierre and Miquelon. Maybe you will be fortunate enough to meet Soraya.
We were aboard a boat, heading back to St. Pierre when
we met her. We had spent a full day exploring the island of Miquelon, and we
were all wishing the boat would "chug" along a little faster when we noticed
that there was a twelve-year old girl smiling at us. Strange . . . Before long
this same young lady held out a piece of candy to each of us, and then she
started up a conversation with my wife and oldest son. She knew the region quite
well, as she had grown up in St. Pierre, and she told us several things to look
for. She must have noticed that my boys were playing a game with coins, because
she gave each of them several euro pennies. Then she brought out some of her
toys from her backpack and invited them to play with her. By the time we got off
the boat, my oldest son had a French e-pal.
Believe me, the long boat ride back to St. Pierre went quickly after that, and
soon the tired look on our faces was replaced by smiles.
And it all started with just a smile. Isn't it amazing what a bit of
friendliness can do?
That same evening, we met someone who wasn't quite as friendly. She was our
waitress at the restaurant we choose for supper. Remembering Soraya, we smiled
and tried to be friendly anyway, despite the fact that it didn't seem to be
having any positive effect. But the next day when we went back (this restaurant
served the best food in town!), we were welcomed like royalty! Service couldn't
have been better!
The day we left the island, we decided to have lunch one more time at this same
restaurant. We had just one hour before our boat was scheduled to leave. It
should have been plenty of time for a little lunch, but when we entered the
Meringouinfre (A great place to eat crepes!), we couldn't believe how many
people were already there before us! We took the last table, then we watched
with dismay as a line began to form at the door. There was no way we could be
served before the boat sailed! But as we sat down, the waitress-the same one we
had had the previous two times!-greeted us warmly. She assured us that she would
see to it we were out of the restaurant in time to catch our boat, and she went
way out of her way to make sure this would happen!
Does it pay to be friendly? It most certainly does. Shouldn't we, as Christians,
take some lessons from Soraya? Absolutely. How many opportunities have not been
lost by just acting like everyone else: bored and hostile to intrusions? Would
you like to revolutionize your workplace? Smile at everyone you encounter,
especially those who give you lots of grief. Would you like to have more
witnessing opportunities? Smile. Smiling is contagious and opens doors that
would never be opened otherwise.
While waiting for our Ferry to St. Pierre, a light keeper gave us each a pen (a
rare treat nowadays). On it is written the following words: "If you see someone
without a smile, give them one of yours." This whole trip to France gave us the
opportunity to apply this message, thanks to the example of that young girl. Was
God trying to give us a message? Is our Heavenly Father trying to share this
same point with you?
Try it, it's worth the blessings you will be bestowing around you.
Have you ever been to St. Pierre? What a great learning experience!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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