Smiling

Smiling had been discussed in a few venues that I happen to frequent this past week. One venue stated that you should, especially as a Christian, smile a lot. The other took the view that if you don't feel the need to smile, you shouldn't fake it.

I take the latter view.

I am not prone to smiling. I do, but it doesn't come naturally to me. I have what is known among INTJ's as a death glare. Others call it 'resting witchy face' (but with a different first letter). I look angry all the time, but I'm not. The deeper I think and the more I concentrate, the angrier I look. Yet, I'm not.

I'm always thinking. It's a trait we introverts are blessed with. Thinking over socializing isn't bad as extroverts believe.

I was sitting while I heard yet another extrovert extole his version of Christianity on everyone. I hear this stuff a lot. Things like "come out of your shell", "we can get you out of that", "you'd be happier if you talked more", or in small groups, "you're doing so much better".

I always ask myself a few questions:

1) Should we fake something if it's what's expected of us?

My answer is no. There is nothing wrong with me. Your perception of me is wrong. God created me this way. There is a purpose to me. Extroverts want me to be like them, but God wants me to be me. I should never tell God He was wrong by faking to be someone I'm not.

Yet, it's a smile. What harm? If you have seen my fake smile, you would understand. Creepsville.

2) Why do (extroverted) Christians expect all Christians to act the same?

We preach tolerance and love to everyone. Yet, in my experience, everyone is accepted to be themselves until you become Christian. Then you're expected to be just like everyone else. How boring.

We preach acceptance but rarely practice it with our own.

I am joyful.

Joyful is an adverb. Adverbs answer questions such as: In what way? How? To what extent?

Happy is fleeting, like all emotions are.

Joy is a choice you make.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds

Being myself is my trial. I choose to be joyful in it.