Inside and Out...

Earlier today, Molly asked if she and Emily could pick some flowers from the garden for the dinner table. They took a pair of craft scissors and walked around the yard gathering a lovely and eclectic bouquet. It was sweet to see them take such pride in their collection. We had been enjoying the blooms for a few weeks but I had forgotten to display some in a vase, as I usually do. Our ordinary table was suddenly turned into a homey and colourful presentation.

As I was cleaning up the dinner dishes, still marveling at the girls' fragrant little contribution, I thought about how often I am concerned about the outward appearance. Do I appear to have it altogether? Am I dressed appropriately? Do people see me as the Christian I desire to be? I can get so busy fussing over how I appear, that the inside of me gets neglected. Just as I enjoyed the flowers in my yard, and forgot to bring their beauty inside, I put more emphasis on what was seen about me from afar. While my family needs to revel in the blooms at a closer view, I must care about the interior of my "home", as well as, the exterior. Spiritually speaking, this means, I must be sure my heart matches what I'm displaying outwardly to those I'm in contact with daily.