Soul Food Sunday, March 8

Do You Have a “Yes” Face?

I once heard a story often told about President Theodore Roosevelt that has stayed with me for years.

Whether every detail is perfectly true or not, the lesson in it certainly is.

The story goes that Roosevelt was riding with a group of men out West on horseback when they came to a river that needed to be crossed. Standing near the riverbank was a man without a horse.

One by one, the riders guided their horses into the water and across the river. Each man passed the fellow standing there, but no one stopped.

Finally, Roosevelt approached.

The man stepped forward and asked, “Would you mind giving me a ride across?”

Roosevelt happily pulled him up behind the saddle and carried him safely across the river.

Once they reached the other side, Roosevelt asked the man a simple question.

“Why didn’t you ask any of the others?”

The man answered,

“They didn’t have yes faces. You did.“

That little story has stayed with me for a long time.

And lately it has me asking a question I can’t quite shake.

Do I have a yes face?

If I’m honest, the older I get, the more I suspect my natural resting face might not always say yes. Between concentrating, rushing through errands, and those lovely little “elevens” that have decided to make themselves at home between my eyebrows, my resting face may occasionally look more like “probably not.”

So I’ve started doing something small but intentional.

I raise my eyebrows a little more.
I try to keep a gentle smile ready.
Looking people in the eye when I pass by them.

Not because life is always cheerful, but because I want to be the kind of person who looks approachable.

Someone who seems safe to ask.

At the grocery store.
With a stranger who needs help.
With a friend sharing something hard.

And especially with the people closest to me.

Even with my husband, when I’m in the middle of something, and he interrupts me.

(Ouch… that one might be the hardest.)

Because sometimes what people need most isn’t our solutions.

They just need a face that quietly says yes before they even speak.

Scripture reminds us how powerful something as simple as our expression can be:

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.”
— Proverbs 15:30 (NLT)

It doesn’t say a perfect life brings joy.

Just a cheerful look.

A soft face.
A welcoming expression.

A posture that says, You’re welcome here.

Roosevelt himself once said,

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Isn’t that the truth! Sometimes the very first way we show that care is simply the look on our face.

So lately I’ve been practicing.

More smiles.
More raised eyebrows.
A little more patience when someone needs a moment of my time.

Because I want to be the kind of person someone feels comfortable approaching.

I want to be someone with a yes face.

And maybe today, someone around us needs to see one.

If this encouraged you today, take it with you into the week ahead.

Maybe it simply means pausing a little longer in a conversation.
Offering a smile to a stranger.
Or softening your response with someone you love.

Small things often carry the most grace.

Thanks for spending a quiet moment here with me today.

Still cooking, still learning — with grace at the table. 💚

Just a quick reminder that I read and respond to every email, and I’m truly thankful for every one of you who comes back week after week! Your support means the world to me. Thank you for taking the time to read and click through to a few recipes—I’m incredibly grateful!