trbccoffeebreak

“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” Acts 17:26 (NIV)

Recently, I visited Washington, DC, during the Cherry Blossom Festival. I walked shoulder-to-shoulder with a crowd of people, while listening to languages I was familiar with as well as with some I had never heard. We indeed live in a multicultural world.

I wish I had the language skills to chit-chat with the Indian ladies sitting on the grass in their colorful clothes or with the Chinese couples sitting on the benches. The diversity of cultures is always something I enjoy seeing. No matter where people come from, they end up liking and doing some of the same things, such as enjoying a picnic under the shade of trees; walking their dogs; watching children play; taking photographs (and selfies!); buying iced drinks and popsicles, hotdogs and elephant ears; blowing soap bubbles and so much more.

Whenever my eyes caught the eyes of someone whose culture was different than my own, it would only take a second and soon we would be smiling at one another. A smile! One little twitch of our lips – that is all it takes! – and we are communicating with someone we never met before without using any words. No pressure. No stress of cost. Just a plain, simple smile. And sometimes that smile is the key that opens doors to show people that God is love. Go on: smile!

“Dear Lord, You have created us unique and beautiful in our own way. You love us all, no matter what we look like. We pray that we, too, can show that love to others who look different from us.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22a (NIV).

There is something about a good laugh that energizes our soul. I remember many instances when a good belly laugh did the trick at transforming my mood. Tonight, I was reading while listening to the TV show “The Voice.” The commercial break featured an ad for health insurance that covers unexpected events. The situation they used was a wife preparing her husband’s dinner. As he walks towards the dining table, the theme song for the movie “Dirty Dancing” began to play. They immediately glanced at each other and nodded “yes.” The wife takes off running, husband catches and lifts her, for one split second she is up with her arms open. The next second both of them are lying over what once was the dining table, which came crashing down when he dropped her. I laughed out loud until my belly hurt.

Up until that moment, I was so focused on the article I had to read for school, and was also listening to the performers on the TV show. But when I saw what that middle-aged couple tried to do and how they miserably failed, I stopped what I was doing and simply enjoyed my laugh.

Letting go of our rigid schedules and savoring a simple act that can de-stress our minds is very healthy. Being able to let go of the load of responsibilities and breathe freely for a bit is fulfilling and invigorating. Things that seem silly like the commercial I watched can be just as rewarding as a one-hour session with a counselor. It’s not about throwing caution to the wind; it’s about taking good care of our sanity. It’s like taking off our dress shoes and allowing the rainwater to flow through our toes when we walk in the rain.

“Thank You for the precious gift of laughter, Lord. It is, without a doubt, a very good medicine for our soul.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break