There’s a Bible on my bed. No, that isn’t unusual, but it is no less extraordinary. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make me smile most.

It all began when I was reading my other Bible one morning. I began to think I’d like to read a different translation – just to get a fresh perspective on the stories I know so well. Sometimes a little change in wording is all it takes to make something come alive to me.

“Maybe I’ll ask Grandma for an NLT Bible for Christmas,” I thought to myself. (I had heard that translation is pretty similar to the original Greek, and I had also heard a few people quote it.) That very day, I received an email from a coworker saying someone wanted to donate new Bibles to the staff. I was dumbfounded. “Wow, God, that was fast.”

I was reminded once again of the joy God finds in making me smile. I guess we’re similar in that manner. I love making people smile. My youth pastor really liked no-bake cookies, so sometimes, on his birthday or Pastor Appreciation Month or one of those “just because” days, I would bring cookies to youth group with me. Just to make him smile. I think we all tend to do those kind of things for people we love. And since God loves you, He wants to make you smile. Your joy is His joy; your delight is His delight. So He sends things like butterflies and rainbows, hot chocolate on snowy days, and faithful friends on “blah” days. Just to make you smile.

So today I accepted my gift with a smile as I thumbed through the pages to get a feel for this precious book. And now, there’s a Bible on my bed. It even has my name stamped on the cover… Just to make me smile.