Evan was 18 years old when I met him. He was small enough to sit in an umbrella stroller, and all four of his limbs were stiff and crippled. He spent most of his day laying on a bed, unable to move much, with flies swarming him and his fellow orphan friends. He had no parents. No home. No family. No healthy body. No ability to speak words. No toys. No bed to call his own. He had nothing when it came to material things, but ironically, Evan had more than most of the world. He had the ability to be happy despite his circumstances. He had the ability to change people. His smile lit up the room.
This boy changed me.
Evan is one of my favorite people in the entire world! I think of him all the time. He taught me some invaluable lessons about happiness and hope. Without being able to speak a single word, he made me laugh. He was a magnet for all of us. We were drawn to his love and laughter.
In every single picture we have of Evan, he is smiling, and that’s because he was ALWAYS smiling. He taught me the ripple effect of smiling and how powerful it is!
I know you will most likely never meet Evan in person, but I hope his message of Christlike love, hope, and happiness can resonate in your heart, and you can feel the power of choosing to be happy no matter what.
I know there are some illnesses where you can’t just “choose to be happy” and with the snap of a finger you are happy. I’m not talking about a frame of mind, I’m talking about a state of being. Are you a griper in life? Do you criticize or judge others? Do you think you “deserve” things? Are you selfish? Do you see yourself as a victim? If so, these are the things that you have the power to change.
No matter where we are in our life, we can learn a lot from Evan.
The POWER CHALLENGE this week is to write down one thing you are going to do to help you get closer to living in a state of happiness. This one goal is going to look very different for each of us. It could be to stop doing something, or maybe it’s to start doing something, whatever it is, start your quest this week on your knees. Ask Heavenly Father what one thing you should work on this week that will help you get closer to living in a state of happiness. He will let you know, and He will give you hope that you can do it.
Happy trails this week Imprinters!