My job as a physical therapist allows me to work with a lot of special needs kids. One particular 6-year-old kid I work with—let’s just call him Otto—has a condition that ensures he will never be able to walk, talk, transfer himself, toilet himself, or use his hands to feed himself. He’ll never drive or even mobilize himself in an electric scooter. 

You’d think that Otto would be down in the dumps as far as attitude goes, but let me tell you what…

Otto starts to smile when I walk in the house, and he does not stop smiling the whole time I am there (maybe he also always smiles when I am not there, I don’t know).

No matter how hard I try to work the kid, no matter what is going on in his little world, this kid smiles! And not just an “I’m pleased to meet you” smile, but a great big “This is the best day of my life” smile.

I wonder if Jesus has already shown Himself to this kid. 

I wonder if Otto has an understanding of how short this mortal life is and how great it is with Jesus. 

The lesson I’ve learned from Otto is that if I can keep an eternal perspective, if I can fix my eyes upon Jesus, then the difficulties I face in this life are manageable. And even if I cannot ever overcome those difficulties, I have a hope beyond this life that should help put a smile on my face.

Keep smiling!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

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