Today I received a gift. The gift is a heart pendant with Casey’s image laser engraved on one side and the words Love, Light and Faith on the other. It is beautiful and precious to me. Bruce’s brother and his wife sent the gift to me. What an amazing summation of his all too short life. Casey loved his family and friends. Casey was always a bright light in so many lives. He was always willing to help anyone who asked and was always ready with a smile, a joke or saying something in a funny voice. And his faith seemed to be unshakable. I thought my faith was pretty strong until I watched Casey in the last year. His faith dwarfed mine.

Daniel 9:18 says, “We do not ask these things because we are good, instead, we ask because of Your mercy.”

I am wearing the pendant with Casey’s image as a necklace with his face looking out and the words facing my heart. I wonder what God sees when He looks at me? And I wonder what others see when they look at me? Does God see His reflection in me looking out at those I greet? Do others see a godly image when they see me? If my soul were to be laid bare what words would be etched inside? Would those words say, “harried teacher of first graders,” or “struggling seminary student,” or “messy and cluttered,” or “good and faithful servant?” I am just throwing this question out there for all of us to ponder.

My heart of hearts is sometimes full of pride and arrogance and thinks that I can do it all. Or at least that I need to try to do it all. That sometimes it is “my way or the highway.” Just ask my first graders! But what I know is that God does not honor an arrogant or prideful heart. He does not honor the whole “I did it my way,” the gospel according to Frank Sinatra. He honors the one who struggles. And God loves it when we ask for His help in the journey. I read that God does not bless the hiker with two strong legs who climbs the mountain alone and reaches the top on his own power. God blesses the hiker who is lame and begs Him for a piggyback ride. For you see, when God is invited to help us in whatever we ask, we get to know Him better and He gets closer to us and will write His Words on our heart. That is when we become more like Him. In order to become more like God we must become less of our worldly selves. That is when the world sees more of God in us.

I think that when I go before God someday I would like for Him to find the words, “It is finished!” etched on my heart. Those words say that God accomplished through me what He planned and I was not found struggling while the will of my Lord was being done. Every day at the close of my prayer time (in the car) I ask that when others see me they see the image of God. I know there are many times throughout the day that the image of God found in me is quite fuzzy. I guess that is what forgiveness, grace and mercy are all about.

When others see you whose image do they see? And what words are written on your heart? Something to ponder along the way.

Take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.