The Only Jesus Some People Might See

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. There was so much to see, but my main focus was one thing: Trisha Yearwood. She's a country singer who came out with a cookbook a few years ago. I have it and I love it and I wanted her to sign it. She also has a new cookbook out and she was demonstrating one of the recipes from it on the Cooking Stage. After the demo she sat for two hours signing cookbooks. I was in the last third of the line and she was nice and gracious and lovely and smiled. It was an amazing thing, considering she'd just spend an hour up in front of everyone cooking, then two hours sitting and writing her name over and over.

I thought how lucky I was that she didn't get cranky toward the end. But really, that little slice of time -- 30 seconds at most -- was all I got of her. And I'm gushing. How would I feel if she was cranky and grabby and frowny? I would have been really bummed, although she would have been perfectly justified, considering the circumstances. That was the only bit of Trisha Yearwood I'll probably ever see.

It got me thinking. Sometimes I'm cranky, maybe a little grabby, and kind of frowny. And sometimes it's even justified. But if I act cranky toward other people, it's not a very good representation of Jesus to them. I might be the only bit of Jesus some people get to see. I sure hope my attitude and words are a reflection of the true Jesus and not a reflection of my emotions or my reaction to the events of my day.

Lord, help me to be invisible so that You might be visible. Let those people who might only see me for a few minutes -- clerks, attendants, gatekeepers -- see You in me. Show me how to represent you best. Amen.