After loading up on groceries this past weekend, I paid for them and stuffed the receipt in my purse.  It was more than I was used to paying.  But, I had both Ted and Amanda with me on that shopping trip and I always end up spending more when they are with me.  (groan)  Somehow all these extra items that were not on my list jumped into the basket!  A day or two later I was cleaning out my purse and gave the receipt a second look.  One item was $19-some dollars.  What?  What jumped into my basket?  The item listed was a certain coffee cake that Teddy picked up for the little spoiled daughter – but it was scanned as though we purchased three of them!  No, no, no.

Yesterday Amanda and I went to the grocery store with a short list of things to buy but I first needed to stop at the service desk with the three coffeecake receipt.  Are they going to believe me?  How do I prove to them that I didn’t purchase three of them?  When it was my turn, I made the story brief and explained to the service desk person that I did indeed purchase a coffeecake, but certainly not three of them.  She glanced up at me and before I knew what she was doing, she was reaching into the cash register.  “I really did not purchase three of those coffeecakes,” I explained, “And it’s kind of a good chunk of money.”  “I believe you,” she said.  “You look like someone who is telling me the truth.  Besides it’s only twelve dollars you’re asking for and you certainly spent more than that on your total bill,” she said as she handed me my refunded overcharge for two coffeecakes.

The store should be happy because after picking out our few items, I was back in the check-out and simply giving the same refunded money back to the store!  This time I chose the self-checkout.  As I was scanning my order, one of the employees walked over and said to Amanda, “Excuse me, but is your name Amanda?”  (Yeah – and I’m chopped liver!) Amanda replied that, “Yes,” she was Amanda.  The woman replied, “Well I am Anna’s mom.”  Anna is one of Amanda’s staff workers.  The woman continued, “You look like the person in the pictures that Anna showed me so I had to ask.”

Who do people say that you “look like?”  Fortunately I had the face of an honest person yesterday!  Amanda looked just like a picture that was taken of her.  But there are times when I really don’t recognize myself in a picture.  It’s not the ‘picture’ of me that I see.  I have a different impression.  I wonder how other people would describe me.  Would they say to look for the person with brown hair brown eyes, and with the smile on her face and happy eyes?  Or do they see a knit brow and a scowl?  Am I the person with a look of confidence or do I scare people away?  If you’ve read, Amanda, Perfectly Made, then you know that most of the times I think people see Amanda’s mom … and not me.

I am sure the image that I reflect changes as my mood and day changes.  And no matter if my image is of a tired, happy, spirited, cautious, honest, distracted, complacent, enthusiastic, or hesitant Laurel, I hope that people may see at least a glimpse of Christ in me.  Isn’t that the ultimate goal?  For all of us to become more Christ-like?  If I look weary, I hope it is from doing His work.  If I look happy, may it be from the Joy of Christ (Give me some of that joy oil!  You missed reading a blog if you don’t get this one!)  If I look honest or enthusiastic, may that energy and perseverance come from Him.  And may He give me the wisdom to appear cautious and hesitant when needed.

What image do you reflect?  How do people finish the sentence when they say “You look like…”?

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

just Laurel

ps  My threatened little cucumber plant now has its first little baby cucumber on the vine!  Go back and read the blogs about my cucumber plant if you want the rest of the story.