A Friendly Smile and Wave for Safe Travels

2 minutes read time

You never know what a smile and wave might mean to someone's day. Never underestimate the value of a friendly greeting.

On my way to work I drive by a small white house where an elderly lady stands outside her front porch waiting to greet each car as it drives by. As I drive by, I return the wave and tap a few honks of my horn to say hello. She is always outside waving to the commuters, most people drive past, maybe some wave back. Sometimes, I don't see her and wonder if she is ok? I always slow down when I get to her home so she can see me wave back. 

Today, I wanted to do something different when I saw her wave to me. I greeted her with a wave and honk as I usually do. But this time as I drove past, I found the next drive way and turned around. I wanted to go back and talk to her. Something I have wanted to do for a long time, but never took the time. I was in the middle of the road stopped in front of her house just to say a quick hello. Well, she left her post and came right up to my car and we started to chat.

Her name is Betty and she was outside planting beautiful flowers that a friend from church had given her. She told me that they were just too pretty to be inside and needed to be in front of her home. She told me about her dog Ginger, and that she would like me. She was hinting for me to stop back again and visit longer. I thanked Betty for always waving to me in the morning, and she talked about how she is always outside waving to people and how much she enjoyed doing this. You could see the twinkle in her eyes as she talked. It was her great joy!

As you get ready to travel to various places around the world for the Feast of Tabernacles lets remember to extend a warm friendly smile or a hello to those who you may encounter in your journey. You just never know... you might make a difference in a person's life.

May you have a safe and spiritually refreshing Feast!

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Aaron Booth

Aaron Booth is the Internet Manager for the United Church of God, where he oversees the organization's web presence and digital initiatives. With more than 25 years of experience in the Internet and digital media industry, Aaron has witnessed the remarkable evolution of the web and is passionate about using technology to connect people with meaningful, life-changing content.

Aaron earned an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Ambassador University before continuing his education at Purdue University, where he studied Leisure Studies and Recreation Management. While at Purdue, he discovered a passion for web and multimedia development, launching a career that included work at Purdue University and several web and multimedia companies in Indianapolis. Following the dot-com downturn in the early 2000s, he relocated to the Cincinnati area and joined the United Church of God, where he continues to serve today.

Aaron enjoys finding innovative ways to use technology to make biblical content more accessible and engaging for audiences around the world. He is especially interested in exploring new digital platforms and creative approaches that help people discover and interact with God's Word.

Aaron and his wife, Dawn, have been married for 25 years. They have two adult children and a grandson. Outside of work, Aaron is an avid fly fisherman and serves as the volunteer lead mentor for the Cincinnati chapter of The Mayfly Project, a nonprofit that connects children in foster care with mentors through the healing and lifelong sport of fly fishing.