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Short Stories (Stories for the Youth), book by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

492- Need for a Smile

 

St-Takla.org Image: Mother and child. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: أم وطفلة.

On a visit to a certain family, the lady told me, reproaching her daughter, “I thank God for my daughter. She’s tender and pure. Her friends are excellent. However, I just have a reproof against her. She shuts the door of her room and talks to her friends sometimes for three hours. I need her to talk to me. When I call her up from work. She answers for seconds and ends the call. I need her smile and tenderness.”

In fact, just as the daughter needs her mother’s smile, the mother also needs her daughter’s. Such a smile is invaluable.

I then remembered the story of a girl who lived in a poor quarter in New York. She used to go to church to enjoy a program made for needy girls. She was characterized by her tender smile. She never complained yet she was always rejoicing in the LORD as if living in Heaven with angels. While she took small material needs, she was pouring peace over the children and ministers through her wonderful cheerfulness.

In a small celebration attended by a big crowd, she sang a small hymn. She attracted the hearts of all the audience not by the words of the hymn but by her inner peace reflected on her smiling face. Among the attendants, there was a physician who suffered many troubles. In spite of being rich, he did not have inner peace. Seeing the child, his heart rejoiced. The smile of this poor child became a practical lesson for him and changed all his life.

Few months later, the physician died. All his relatives came, each of them expecting to take a portion of his huge inheritance for, he was not married. However, when his will was read, they discovered that he left 75000 dollars of his wealth to the young girl who presented him a joyful life through the work of God’s Spirit in her.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: محتاجة إلى ابتسامة ابنتي!

You give joy free as a fruit of your Holy Spirit!

You accept it from us as an invaluable sacrifice of love.

Who can give us real joy but You,

O who alone penetrate my depth,

Renew me,

And grant me the tribute of your rejoicing Kingdom.

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