Two Christmases ago I was met with a serious dilemma.  My family was unwrapping gifts and, as you can imagine, my daughter Stella (then four) was in a rush to enjoy her presents.  It wasn’t enough to just have each gift unwrapped, they had to be unboxed and enjoyed.  Here’s the issue: toy makers have conspired to seal their prizes behind ridiculous amounts of impenetrable plastic.  For real!  How much protection does a Disney Princess doll require exactly?  The answer – too much!  During that day, to keep things rolling and my daughter stabilized, I had to ask my dad on at least three occasions to borrow his pocket knife.

My ego had been hit.  I felt like my ‘man card’ was on the fritz.  This was unacceptable, I had been raised better than that.  I told my wife on that very same Christmas Day, I was getting a pocket knife and it was becoming a part of my life.

The past two years have seen a new me develop.  My pocket knives have come in handy on so many occasions (and yes I said knives – there are knives for all sorts of occasions).  It feels great when someone needs something cut or sliced and they ask if I have a knife and I can reply – “You bet – I’m a man!”  Boom – pocket knife saves the day!

My pocket knife goes with me wherever I go (well, except airports, government buildings, and certain church events).  My pocket knife doesn’t define me, but it’s there when I need it.  It’s the tool for me.

As a Christian, I’ve come to acquire a few tools that are pretty important to me as well.  One tool is so important I take it everywhere I go and employ it at every available opportunity.  It’s my smile.

I know what you’re thinking, I got suckered in with cool talk about knives and here we are talking about smiles – lame.  Don’t peace out.  My smile is the most important tool I’ve got.  It puts others at ease, it sets the tone, it offers forgiveness and hope, it states my intention, it opens a door, it peacefully brings moments to a close, and maybe, just maybe, it offers a glimpse of Jesus Christ.

There are some situations where it’s all I can offer and some where it’s all I can say.  For some people it may be all they see of me and hopefully for some it’s all they’ll remember.  A smile can lift a heart, heal a hurt, and brighten a day.

As Christians we need to smile more.  Our image hasn’t always been so great with the world.  You know this is true and in many cases that’s not going to be something we can change. Sure, I believe Jesus is the one way to salvation and that He’s the only way to the One True God.  And yes, I do disagree with the lifestyles of many people in this world.  But that doesn’t mean I have to be a jerk about it.

My God has asked me to love and to show love at every occasion.  Life is going to throw moments and opportunities for you to have an impact on someone.  When those moments present themselves, I hope you don’t find yourself scrambling for the tools to succeed.  So make sure your tools are ready and take them everywhere you go.  Smile.