Focus

If you spend any time at all in Cambodia you would have to try hard not to notice the many smiles that greet you. I'm not sure if they smile more here or if the contrast of their white teeth against their dark skin just makes it seem that way but regardless, we see a lot of smiles here. One of the contributing factors, I am certain, is that many Khmer will instinctively smile at westerners. Even though there are a fair number of us here in Cambodia, we still comprise a minute percent of the population. We stick out. We look different. We act different. We talk different. In short, we can make for pretty good entertainment...even if we are just shopping or walking down the street. We don't even have to be doing something particularly interesting, smiles (and laughter) greet us.

However, what has struck me even more than the smiles themselves are some unusual times that I have seen them. For instance, one time I saw some kids riding on a bike with school books and some produce. When they slipped on some loose sand, they fell and their books and fruit scattered on the road. My kids would have likely learned some interesting new English words from me if I had fallen, but these kids were all laughing and smiling like they had just heard a funny joke. I took note of it.

Another time I saw a young child pulling a recycling cart along the road gathering anything that could possibly used by his family to make some money. It was relatively early in the morning yet he had a smile on his face. I again took note and wondered how my face would look if that were me. 

On a different occasion, I was at the gym and saw a guy riding his bike by. He was probably in his 20's and I would guess he was heading to work. He was just riding slowly, taking in the view and just smiling, enjoying his ride. Seems fine so far. The thing that caused the disconnect in my mind was that he was riding a bike that would have been more appropriate for a 5-year-old girl: First, because it was obviously too small; Second, it was bright pink. Again, if that had been me, I would have worn a hoodie, pulled the hood up over my head tightly and rode like my butt was on fire until I reached my destination. I would have wanted as few people as possible to see me. Once again, I filed this sight away in my mind.

These 3 anecdotes are just representations of what we see on a regular basis. It has caused me to wonder what it is about the Cambodian people that makes them joyful much of the time. I think it gets down to what they focus on. I think, in general, they don't worry about tomorrow. They aren't concerned about how the stock market is doing. They don't spend time concerning themselves with complex political problems. The possibility of war or natural disasters don't invade their down time. They simply take care of what needs to be taken care of for that day. "I will collect enough recyclables to buy food for today and maybe save a little bit extra for tomorrow." That's it. That is not to say that some Cambodians aren't good at saving and making bigger purchases but in general they strike me as people who don't spend a lot of time worrying about things that will happen whether they think about them or not. It is such a great reminder to me as I can sometimes look for things to worry about. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.