Splendor and Majesty ~ Imago Dei

As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart Proverbs 27:19

Sitting on my porch swing with a precious little ten-month old, we were swinging, singing, and giggling. When I stopped the swing, my little buddy would look into my eyes and wiggle her little body, willing me to start the swing again.  At one point, I became a little alarmed seeing something red in her eyes. At first, I thought she may have an infection, then I thought it was just part of her eye color I had never noticed before.

As I gazed into those smiling eyes, I realized what I was seeing was a reflection of myself. My red shirt was perfectly reflected in the dancing eyes of my little friend.

I couldn’t take a picture. I could not shout for her mom to come see. I just sat transfixed and fascinated at what I saw in my little friend’s eyes. Me… I had never seen my reflection in anyone’s eyes before.

The thought took my breath away. When my Heavenly Father looks into my eyes, does He see a reflection of himself? Does he see the clarity of His image, the colors of His creation, the intensity of His love, the abundance of His character? Or does he see a distorted image, maimed by my own self-willed life, covering me like a veil.

But when someone changes and follows the Lord, that covering is taken away. The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:16-18

When God created man, he was perfect, created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27). Sin clouded that perfect image. Mankind became blind, unable to see the Imago Dei. Jesus, the Light of the World, came to heal the blind and restore our sight.

As a fifth-grade teacher, I taught about light, light’s necessity for life and growth, reflection, refraction, speed, and spectrum. In the absence of light, we have no brilliant sunsets or sunrises, no reflections of trees on the water, no rainbows reminding us of God’s promises. Without the Light, we cannot see His reflection in our lives. Without the Light, we are completely blind.

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see…” John 9

My prayer today is that the reflection of God’s image is not just seen in my eyes but in my very soul, through my attitudes and actions, so that I can be a light to all who need to see. And as David prayed, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 17:8 (NIV)

We are “Made in the Image of God.”

What does God see when He looks into your eyes?

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

My name is Keri Willis. I am a semi-retired educator. I spent a great deal of my career working with adults with developmental disabilities and many years in elementary education, in the classroom and as an administrator. My main ministry now is coordinating the women’s ministry for our church in San Diego, CA. I have been married thirty-four years and have two grown and married children. I now have a head of full grey hair and good ideas.
I believe we are created to use our gifts and to be creative. That comes in many forms for me. I love to woodwork and use power tools, design, decorate, garden, and create new recipes. And I love to write. One major lesson I have learned in my writing journey is that I need to be still and listen to hear God’s voice before I am prepared to put into words the message he has instilled in my heart. This has been much easier since I am no longer working full time, but it is so easy to get distracted and not listen, which almost always ends with an empty page in the form of writer’s block.
While I have written many articles for newsletters and local newspapers, I did not consider myself a writer until I self-published my first book, Teapots and Power Tools. https://www.amazon.com/Teapot…/dp/1466458763/ref=sr_1_3…
The idea emerged as I was working on a project in my garage. I had worship music playing, power tools out and saw dust flying. I glanced up and saw my delicate teapot sitting on my router table. The message was clear. Sometimes we are using the power tools God gives us and sometimes he just wants us to be still and have tea with him. The book became the foundation for a women’s retreat, and then my amazing niece helped me work through publishing it on Create Space (now KDP).
At least five other projects are in different stages of production. I joined hope*writers to help motivate me and keep me focused and accountable. I am still trying to figure out the whole website and blog thing. That is my next goal for myself; that and finish writing at least one of my projects!
Teapots and Power Tools: Effectively using the tools God has equipped you with, while taking time to “Be Still and Know That He is God”
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