White Teeth Behind Shy Lips



"What makes me happy, is seeing someone else smile because I put it there." Zach Sobiech


I think that this quote, said by the recently passed Zach Sobiech, in a way, recaps my life. I see teeth shine behind shy lips and knowing that I may have said something to make that happen makes me happy.

I remember we had stopped somewhere to eat on the way back from the Safari in Uganda. It was a nicer part of town, and we had stopped at a restaurant owned by a very nice English man. We were about to leave when I, being just another foolish, rich, american, pulled out a piece of gum to pop in my mouth. The English man asked for a piece, and handed it to one of the children walking along the road. The child took it, put it in his mouth, and there it was. That beautiful smile that didn't need the "whitening" mint gum, because Jesus had already supplied him with the most beautiful smile. But because he had noticed him, added immediate value to that child's life, the most natural thing came out: a smile.

It hit me. The man knew the boy was looking my way, watching me fit the description of "mzungu," and found a way to make that boy happy. He took advantage of my white personality and made something beautiful of it.

At the Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2 weeks ago, John Maxwell put it this way. Leadership is influence. When you add value to a person's life, you immediately increase the amount of influence that you have in their lives. In my case, the nice English man added value to the boy's life by handing him a simple piece of gum. In turn, his influence greatly grew because the boy now respected him, and noticed that he had added value to his own life.

Smiling is one of my favorite things to do. Laughter in the air fills my heart to the highest point, bringing out the Joy of Salvation. Ultimately though, what we do doesn't put a smile on people's faces. It is the Spirit's work in us. The Gospel's change in our lives, bringing us hope and peace and life and making us new. New. New to laugh and cry and breathe and live in His light.

The result, is Joy. Joy that spills over our hearts and into our physical actions bringing us to smile and laugh because of what He has done for us. I wonder what people, without a Savior, think is behind laughter. What motivates their happiness?

Know what motivates yours, and if it isn't the transforming power of the Gospel, make it that. And then go and spill His joy into others knowing that it was not something YOU did to make that person smile, but something HE did and is doing to bring that Joy.


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