What do you do, Dear Reader, if you find yourself in a stressful situation, perhaps in the workplace? How do you keep it together in a meeting when you’d much rather cut and run?

One of the schools I served in was going through major changes, with seemingly little staff input. Thankfully, God was good and blessed me with a friend who reminded me about the power of a wink. Yep, that’s what I said, Dear Reader: the power of a wink. Until then, I thought winking was a lost art.

Okay, yes, Jake Gyllenhaal is pretty hot and flirty winking in this GIF, but there’s another kind of wink. The type that says, “Hey, we’re in this together; it’s going to be alright.” It’s that tiny act of kindness that can make an uncomfortable situation seem better, at least for a minute.

Wowzers, Dear Reader! I just did a word search for “wink” in Bible Gateway and none of the passages were positive. Notwithstanding, I still think a discreet wink between friends in a tense moment can lighten the spirit.

Or, maybe it’s an inside joke between you and someone close to you, Dear Reader. You’ve been waiting hours for your car to get fixed, and it’s not looking good. Then your friend says or texts a single word or simple phrase, and you crack up.

That reconnect, the laughter that tickles your lips, is a deliberate act of kindness when you need it most. I’m glad to share that God’s Word does have some good things to say about laughter, like this one:

God will let you laugh again; you’ll raise the roof with shouts of joy,

Job 8:21 MSG