Why Does Rick Smile
Coin-op Toilets on the Street. Some large cities, such as Paris, London, and Amsterdam, are dotted with coin-operated, telephone-booth-type WCs on street corners. Insert a coin, the door opens, and you have 15 minutes of toilet use accompanied by Sinatra Muzak.
Why not do this for someone today? Are you the kind of person that the mere mention of your name or the mere thought of you makes someone else want to smile? Does the thought of you uplift others and put a smile on their faces, or does your name evoke a sense of heaviness and negative memories? What Makes God Smile. Christian Life Center. The smile of God is the goal of your life! “May the Lord smile on you ”. Numbers 6:25 (NLT) Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do. Experience feel-good shopping Shop at smile.amazon.com and we’ll donate to your favorite charitable organization, at no cost to you. Get started Same products, same prices, same service. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases.
By Rick Steves
Foreign toilets can be traumatic, even in Europe, but they are one of those little things that can make travel so much more interesting than staying at home — every world traveler has one or two great toilet stories that give 'going local' a very real meaning.
Flummoxing Flushers
n Europe, you may or may not encounter a familiar flushing mechanism. In older bathrooms, toilets may come with a pull string instead of a handle (generally with the tank affixed to the wall rather than the toilet itself). In modern bathrooms, you may see two buttons on top of the tank — one performs a regular flush, the other (for lighter jobs) conserves water. In Great Britain, you'll likely come across the 'pump toilet,' with a flushing handle that doesn't kick in unless you push it just right: too hard or too soft, and it won't go. (Be decisive but not ruthless.)
Toilet Paper
Like a spoon or a fork, this is another Western 'essential' that many people on our planet do not use. What they use varies. I won't get too graphic, but remember that a billion civilized people on this planet never eat with their left hand. While Europeans do use toilet paper, WCs may not always be well stocked. If you're averse to the occasional drip-dry, carry pocket-size tissue packs (easy to buy in Europe) for WCs sans TP. Some countries, such as Greece and Turkey, have very frail plumbing. If you see an wastebasket near the toilet with used toilet paper in it, that's a sign that the sewer system isn't up to snuff. Put your used TP in the wastebasket instead of flushing it. (The rule of thumb in those places: Don't put anything in the toilet unless you've eaten it first.)
Paid Toilets
Paying to use a public WC is a European custom that irks some Americans. But isn't it really worth a few coins, considering the cost of water, maintenance, and cleanliness? And you're probably in no state to argue, anyway. Coin-operated toilets are the norm at highway rest areas, train stations, and even at some sights. (Many coin-op WCs have self-cleaning toilet seats; stick around after you're done to watch the show.)
Sometimes the toilet itself is free, but an attendant in the corner sells sheets of toilet paper. Most common is the tip dish by the entry — the local equivalent of about 50 cents is plenty. Caution: Many attendants leave only bills and too-big coins in the tray to bewilder the full-bladdered tourist. The keepers of Europe's public toilets have earned a reputation for crabbiness. You'd be crabby, too, if you lived under the street in a room full of public toilets. Humor them, understand them, and carry some change so you can leave them a coin or two.
Women in the Men's Room
The female attendants who seem to inhabit Europe's WCs are a popular topic of conversation among Yankee males. Sooner or later you'll be minding your own business at the urinal, and the lady will bring you your change or sweep under your feet. Yes, it is distracting, but you'll just have to get used to it — she has.
Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Some European bathrooms have shared hand-washing facilities for women and men, with adjacent but separate toilet areas. And some restrooms make no distinctions for gender at all.
Squat Toilets
Why Does Rick Smiley
The vast majority of European toilets are similar to our own. But in a few out-of-the-way places, you might find one that consists simply of porcelain footprints and a squat-and-aim hole. If faced with a squat toilet, remember: Those of us who need a throne to sit on are in the minority. Throughout the world, most humans sit on their haunches and nothing more. Sometimes called 'Turkish toilets,' these are more commonly found in, well, Turkey.
Getting comfortable in foreign restrooms takes a little adjusting, but that's travel. When in Rome, do as the Romans do — and before you know it, you'll be Euro-peein'.
Finding a Public Restroom
I once dropped a tour group off in a town for a potty stop, and when I picked them up 20 minutes later, none had found relief. Locating a decent public toilet can be frustrating. But with a few tips, you can sniff out a biffy in a jiffy.
Coin-op Toilets on the Street
Some large cities, such as Paris, London, and Amsterdam, are dotted with coin-operated, telephone-booth-type WCs on street corners. Insert a coin, the door opens, and you have 15 minutes of toilet use accompanied by Sinatra Muzak. When you leave, the entire chamber disinfects itself.
Some cities have free, low-tech public urinals (called pissoirs) that offer just enough privacy for men to find relief…sometimes with a view. Munich had outdoor urinals until the 1972 Olympics and then decided to beautify the city by doing away with them. What about the people's needs? There's a law in Munich: Any place serving beer must admit the public (whether they're customers or not) to use the toilets.
Restaurants
Any place that serves food or drinks has a restroom. No restaurateur would label his WC so those on the street can see, but you can walk into nearly any restaurant or café, politely and confidently, and find a bathroom. Assume it's somewhere in the back, either upstairs or downstairs. It's easiest in large places that have outdoor seating — waiters will think you're a customer just making a quick trip inside. Some call it rude; I call it survival. If you feel like it, ask permission. Just smile, 'Toilet?' I'm rarely turned down. American-type fast-food places are very common and usually have a decent and fairly accessible 'public' restroom. Timid people buy a drink they don't want in order to use the bathroom, but that's generally unnecessary (although sometimes the secret bathroom door code is printed only on your receipt).
Even at American chains, be prepared for bathroom culture shock. At a big Starbucks in Bern, Switzerland, I opened the door to find an extremely blue space. It took me a minute to realize that the blue lights made it impossible for junkies to find their veins.
Public Buildings
When nature beckons and there's no restaurant or bar handy, look in train stations, government buildings, libraries, large bookstores, and upper floors of department stores. Parks often have restrooms, sometimes of the gag-a-maggot variety. Never leave a museum without taking advantage of its restrooms — they're free, clean, and decorated with artistic graffiti. Sometimes you can access a museum's restrooms from the entry hall, without paying to go inside. Large, classy, old hotel lobbies are as impressive as many palaces you'll pay to see. You can always find a royal retreat here, and plenty of soft TP.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you….
— 2 Thessalonians 2:13
One day Denise and I were talking about different things we had survived throughout our many years of ministry together. It started out as a positive conversation, but before I realized what was happening, I had slipped into thinking of all the people who had wronged us over the years. Soon I felt myself sinking mentally and emotionally into the sticky mire of those negative thoughts.
Finally, I realized my thoughts were going in the wrong direction and swiftly put on the brakes. I shifted into reverse to get out of that mode of thinking and began to mentally compile a list of everyone who had been a blessing to us over the years. The number of individuals who had been a blessing to us was so long that I couldn’t stop listing them! In comparison, the sheer number of these blessed connections swallowed the names of those who had become negative memories in our lives.
*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]
One brother’s name in particular literally made me smile. Just the mention of his name put a smile on my face. I decided I would say his name to several other people who knew him to see how his name affected them — and every person, without exception, smiled when I mentioned his name. I thought, What a blessing that the mere mention of a person’s name would make people smile!
This must have been how Paul felt about the Thessalonian believers, because when he wrote to them, he said, “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you…” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
The word “bound” is the Greek word opheilo, which describes an obligation. Whenever Paul began to ponder the great things God had done in the lives of the Thessalonian congregation, he felt obligated to stop what he was doing and give thanks to God for that group of believers. The mere thought of the Thessalonians put a smile on his face! They had been such a blessing to Paul that he literally felt an obligation to stop whatever he was doing to thank God for them.
Likewise, we, too, must learn to stop and thank God for what He has done in the lives of those around us — especially those who have been a blessing to us and who cause us to smile at the mere thought of them! We have an obligation to stop and remember all that God has done and to give Him thanks.
The phrase “to give thanks” in this verse is the Greek word eucharistos. The first part of the word is eu. This word means good and implies a good feeling or a pleasant, inner warmth. The second word is charis, which is the Greek word for grace. By compounding these two words, Paul revealed that when he thought of the Thessalonians, the feelings he had for them were so rich, warm, pleasant, and gratifying that thanksgiving flowed effortlessly out of his heart like a river of divine grace. Thanking God for these believers wasn’t hard for Paul; on the contrary, restraining his thanksgiving for them would have been much more difficult. It was easy for Paul to thank God for this particular group of believers.
The word “always” is the Greek word pantote. In this context, it means every time we think of you or at each and every opportunity. Paul’s memory of the Thessalonians was so sweet that whenever he thought of them, thanksgiving arose in his heart.
This part of Second Thessalonians 2:13 could be interpreted to mean:
“Every time we think about you, thanksgiving floods out of our hearts! We are so overwhelmed with thanksgiving that we actually feel obligated to stop whatever we are doing to take a few minutes to express to God how much we appreciate you.…”
I don’t know if you’ve ever slipped into the mode of remembering everyone who has ever done something wrong to you. If you have, you know what a negative experience that can be. But today I want to urge you to do the opposite — make a list of those who have been a blessing in your life! I believe you’ll find that your heart begins to overflow with thanksgiving to the Lord, just as was true for the apostle Paul concerning the Thessalonians. The mere thought of certain people He has brought into your life to bless you will probably put a big smile on your face!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I want to say thank You for the people who are so faithful, kind, and encouraging that the mere mention of their names makes me want to smile. I am grateful for such people. Forgive me for focusing on the negative experiences I’ve had with people when the actual list of people who have been a blessing to me is so large. I ask You to help me remember those who put a smile on my face when I am attacked, hurt, or offended by others. Help me quickly remember that bad experiences with people are in the minor category, and that most people have been a blessing to me. As I make a list of those who have been true blessings in my life, show me how to express my gratitude to You and to them for the blessing they have been in my life.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I boldly and easily declare that my life has been blessed with people who have loved me, cared for me, and have been a blessing to me. When I am tempted to drag up the names and memories of those who have hurt me in some way, I will refuse to dwell on those memories but will put on the brakes and act in reverse, compiling a list of the people who have been a blessing. The truth is, there are more who have been for me than those who have been against me. When I think of all the longstanding relationships with people who have loved and forgiven me in spite of myself and are still being kind to me even today, it would be ungrateful for me to dwell on negative people. So with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am reversing my mental focus! I’m going to thank God for the people He has used to put a smile on my face.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
Why Does Rick See Loris Ghost
- Have you ever made a list of people who have been a blessing to you over the course of your lifetime? It may be easier for you to think of people who have wronged you, since human nature has an easier time remembering negative experiences. But why don’t you set aside some time to write down the names of those people who have been a blessing to you? I think you’ll be surprised to see how long your list becomes!
- Do certain individuals come to mind when you ask yourself who always put a smile on your face? Have you ever stopped to tell them what they mean to you? Put yourself in their shoes, and think how much it would mean to you if someone told you how much you had been a blessing to him or her. It doesn’t take long to write a note, make a call, or send a text message. Why not do this for someone today?
- Are you the kind of person that the mere mention of your name or the mere thought of you makes someone else want to smile? Does the thought of you uplift others and put a smile on their faces, or does your name evoke a sense of heaviness and negative memories? If the answer is the latter, what areas might need to change in your behavior to reverse that negative testimony with other people?