A Mark

Last night one of my son’s said, “Mom, take a picture of my bald spot. I want to see it.”

You see when he was not yet a year old he had a playing “incident”. It was my normal routine to gate his room and let him play there safely while I got ready in front of the mirror that was about five steps from his doorway (small house). One Sunday morning while Hubby was already at church my son would not stop standing in his doorway crying. I lifted him above the gate, held and comforted him and safely deposited him back in his room so I could finish getting ready for church. As soon as I made it back in front of the mirror I saw blood on my shoulder. Of course I panicked and ran to my son’s room where I could see him crawling under his crib. I quickly figured out he had scraped his head on the metal spring of his crib. He and I went to Urgent Care instead of church that day and now 11 years later he bears a scar or “mark” on the back of his head (no stitches needed just an over-reacting new mom). There’s no hair growing in that scar so if my son’s hair is short you can see the white smooth reminder of the spring scrape.

It got me thinking…do I have the marking of a new creation? When someone looks at me can they see more of my old self (which looks a lot like today’s culture) or can they see a new self (looks like truth)?

Culture: indulge in impurity, greed, falsehood, stealing, unwholesome talk, grieving the Holy Spirit, bitterness, rage, slander, malice (Doesn’t sound familiar? Glance at the headlines at the checkout stand or turn on reality TV. Ummm, no, thank you.)

The new self (the one we have to PUT ON – meaning take action): in your anger, do not sin; truthfulness; talk that builds others up; work and sharing with those in need; kindness; compassion; forgiveness.

See Ephesians 4 (which happens to be what my pastor preached on Sunday).

It is Christ who creates righteousness and holiness in us, but if I keep on the old self (engaging in all the things that culture does – or be entertained by them) will anyone see those things I profess to be?