Look Beyond
At 10 PM each night, the non-counselling staff was called to their own devotional in the Hawley Lodge. It’s a good idea, to keep us all focused on the key spiritual objectives of the week. I was very disappointed in the conduct of the Monday session; the leader did “overkill” on our emotions, to prove a fairly minor point on how we handle distractions. I almost decided not to go to the Tuesday night devotional; I was poised to quietly slip away, if that leader was scheduled to lead us in another one. Thankfully, he had done his one for the week! I decided to stay.
Rebekah, a student at Oklahoma Christian, and one of the permanent summer staff, led our Tuesday devotional. She placed three lit candles in the middle of our circle of 30 people, distributed the lyrics of Chris Rice’s song, “Carry Your Candle,” and she played the song on her CD player. We all listened meditatively in the light-dimmed room, looking at the candles and listening to the song.
When the piece finished, Rebekah called us into “break out” groups to discuss eight questions that she had made for us to consider our influence to others. It was a most insightful devotional—certainly the best one of the week, as I look back.
I personally thanked her for her insights and spiritual maturity that I saw in her that night. I told her that I also learned another lesson: to look beyond one’s exterior to the real person inside. Rebekah had participated in the campfire activities held the hour before. Everybody—campers and staff alike—had their faces painted! Rebekah had conducted her beautiful devotional with silly designs painted all over her face!
God teaches me lessons like this all of the time, it seems. He had to tell Samuel long ago, “For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Sam. 16:7)
When we start meeting our MCREST guests this week, look beyond their exteriors, and see the beautiful person within, the person whom Jesus loves. Let’s have a good week!
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