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Welcoming Words Newsletter    April 2025

By Debbie Sorensen

The eyes have it.

 “The eyes are the windows to the soul,”  Words from the past can bring hope and encouragement to the present.

“The Bard,” William Shakespeare  is credited with the above saying. 

I learned the background of this phrase can be traced back to Biblical times and a Roman sage, Marcus Tullius Cicero. This stoic philosopher had similar words to share. “The face is a picture of the mind, as the eyes are its interpreter.” 

Why would we want to focus on our face and specifically our eyes?

However we choose to think about eyes, we have a great personal communication tool to reach out and connect with other individuals we encounter. A brother of mine, recently shared an interesting surprise he had in a restaurant, because of his eyes.

Gary was having lunch out one day and noticed two airmen from the local Air Force base. He decided to step out of his comfort zone and something he’d never done before. He would pay for the meals of those service members. It took him a little while to get up from his table and situated on the two canes he needed for walking. As he moved toward the waitress, the airmen left their table and exited the restaurant. Darn. The waitress walked over to him and Gary mentioned what he had planned to do. He went on to say he would like to leave a money to pay it forward for another service person.

With a smile, the young lady said to him; “Well sir, those two guys just paid for your meal!”

To his surprise she continued; “Those airmen said that they appreciated your smile and the nice light in your eyes. They wanted to treat you.”

We just never know who might be watching us and what kind of message our actions might be sending to those around us. 

Welcoming words and eyes can reach out to others in amazing ways, to make a difference in the life of someone else.Think about how you can make a difference in the day and life of another person.

Matthew 6:22-23

“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But is your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.”

Contact:  Debbie Sorensen at [email protected]