“I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” –Buddy the Elf

I was reminded yesterday morning during a conversation at church about just how wonderful the movie “Elf” is for our Christmas spirits. It’s not just that it’s funny and can center us in joy and good humor (and yes, I know, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but…), it’s that we can actually learn a lot from Will Ferrell’s character, Buddy the Elf.

One of the questions asked by one of you on our worship brainstorming sheets for December, The Practice of Presence, was, “How can we apply mindfulness outside of the sanctuary?” Buddy has a perfect answer for this. When Buddy leaves the North Pole, his home, a place that feels like a sanctuary to him, he enters the world with eyes wide open. Buddy notices all the new things around him with great fascination and excitement, and often, these are things that might seem mundane to us, which is what makes it so funny. But what if we walked through the world with fresh eyes and were mindful enough to notice all sorts of regular, simple things with extraordinary excitement? This is a practice of presence, and surely it would have us smiling a whole lot more. Practicing mindfulness in this way takes us out of our heads, away from our anxieties, from the things we are ruminating about, and infuses our brains with fresh thoughts and ideas!

And when we are smiling a whole lot more, we might notice how this affects the people around us. Do they smile back? Does it make them feel worthy? It’s a simple practice, but it just might make us see that we can actually be gifts to each other. I’ve been feeling like this is a challenging practice these days. When I leave the house and go out into the wilds of Lakeland, I feel like people are angry and inconsiderate–on the roads, in the stores, at the doctor’s office. It’s discouraging and feels overwhelming. But perhaps if I pretended to be like Buddy the Elf, full of excitement, gratitude, and smiles, I could change the atmosphere in the present moment in whatever place I’m in. What if we all tried to do this more? To be present, grateful, and to smile at one another? I truly do believe that it takes small actions to help fuel a movement towards more joy for everyone.

Happy Holidays! Take good care of yourself and others.

Heather