Smile Pretty for the Camera...or Not?

I’m convinced God has a huge smile. He loves to see us smile too. Big, goofy smiles. Small, playful smiles. Smiles with teeth going every which direction. God created them all and He loves to see them.

He created me to smile and yet I fight against showing it to others if at all possible. Don’t get me wrong, I love to laugh and it’s not the petite, little chuckle. It’s a full on, wide open, usually snorting type of laugh. I’m so grateful I can’t really “see” or “hear” myself laugh do as I’m quite sure it’s not the same thing as what’s happening in my mind.

What I do struggle with though is smiling on cue for pictures. Am I the only one with that issue? I know I’m fearfully and wonderfully made by God who knit together every inch of me intentionally but… why does my smile always come across like the joker from batman when someone says “cheese”. Seriously, I wish I was kidding.

Last night, my niece (who is one of my best friends in the whole world) and I went to a Third Day concert. It was amazing. She reached over to take a picture of us together. Her smile literally lights up a room and you can’t help but smile with her. Except when there’s a camera around for me. Run, hide, grimace, stick your tongue out. Anything to avoid the dreaded smile.

This morning, God really laid it on my heart that regardless of what I think of my smile, HE loves it. So, I’m going to stop hiding it. I’m going to trust God and take Him at His word. He’s proven time and time again that I CAN trust Him with the “big stuff” and even what might seem like “little stuff”.

I missed making a lasting memory with someone very dear to me because of something so vain on my part. This smile is part of who I am, crooked teeth and all!