Service, with an inner smile.

"The fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace, and peace begins with a smile."

~Mother Teresa

I appreciate that Mother Teresa didn't instruct us that we jump into service with a smile. 

Her instruction is rather that we find love first. That we are motivated to serve because of love. That this love is driven from knowledge gathered by an awareness of either wanting to do something or knowing exactly what we need to do. We smile once we can match our compassionate love with a service, and there is an enormous amount of peace that often follows the fruits we observe in the outcomes.

But then, there are those times...

Those times when your service is met with opposition and disdain. Your love is completely ignored and even questioned. Broken souls who have no desire to be mended find ways to assure you your efforts will not be needed. That is unless they choose to pick through what you have to offer and send you packing with whatever they turn their noses up toward. Yes, there are those times, and there are seasons when they seem like the rule instead of the exception.

It doesn't mean the fruits of the service go away. On the contrary, this is when they are the most necessary.

Mother Teresa understood what we all must pray to absorb. No one can take away love and passion that resides within you toward a calling to service. That is yours to explore and explode to the world around you. Holding fast to the peace that comes from that smile, no matter if it shines on your face or gleams on the inside, will fertilize and grow your love. There are times when smiling at those we serve frankly isn't appropriate. They might need our tears or our calm countenance. And those broken souls will walk away confused if you bow your head, tip your hat, or wink your eye as you wish them well.

In those times, we keep our smile inside.

Breathing out peace.

Servants with an inner smile.

Cheers.