Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart comes the good and noble things of life.

~Proverbs 4:23 The Voice

An oyster’s reaction to an irritant is to secrete a thin smooth layer of nacre or mother-of-pearl over the particle to prevent irritation. It repeats this layering process until it forms into an iridescent sphere, which can take six months or many years to yield a pearl.

Instead of dismissing their uninvited guests, they shelter them in layers of beauty. This laborious task requires consistency and perseverance that transforms the intruder into something beautiful. This magnificent orb even possesses enormous strength. I read a study where a pearl survived the weight of a truck. The outer layer cracked, but the other layers remained intact.

The same substance that creates a pearl also coats the inner shell which supports and protects its vital organs. Yes, this mollusk has a mouth, digestive system, heart, and muscles. 

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

~Psalm 139:14 NLT

If God created such magnificence out of an oyster, imagine the richness he created within you and me. Have you ever approached someone with an infectious smile and witnessed their eyes light up and their lips turn upwards? Genuine joy is powerful. It brings health to the giver and the receiver. Scripture tells us that joy is medicine and that a smile gives the heart joy (Proverbs 15:30; 17:22). Mother Teresa once said, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors. God knows there are unkind people in our paths who may treat us badly. But it doesn’t change what He asks us to do because He knows people who are hurting hurt other people. They need healing from the sharp edges of life, and what better way to start that process than to coat that irritant with an iridescent smile. 

When was the last time you smiled to give someone God’s love? Light up someone’s life with the gifts Jesus gave you.

Father God, thank You for Your unconditional love. I pray for a sincere and joyful heart as I approach others so that Your love shines through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction 

Copyright 2021: An Iridescent Impulse: Irene Wintermyer: All Rights Reserved

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