Be the Moon

Last summer a friend of mine was wearing a T-shirt that said..."Be the Moon" I thought about it for a moment and then finally had to ask.."What does your shirt mean?" She said that we are to be a reflection of Christ in our daily lives..just like the moon is simply a reflection of the sun. I have often pondered this exchange, not b/c I disagree, but b/c I totally agree. Since that conversation, many times I have simply said to myself, "Self, what are you reflecting?" My answer was not always a good one, but just posing the question seemed to put me in a better place. Fast forward to this last week, I was fishing with my husband and kids(yes, we fish for fun in MS, my daughter Micah, caught the most that day!!!) and I was struck by the reflection of this old ratty, no leaves, ugly, barren tree that stood next to the pond. The tree was nothing special, it had no beautiful qualities about it. Its surroundings did not help its case for beauty either. And yet, I was speechless as to the beauty of its reflection in the water. You see the backdrop to the tree was some old ratty buildings, some broken down trailers(as in homes) and more bleak and barren trees. But in the reflection, only the tree was present...not the ugliness behind it. And somehow, the barren lonely tree that stood before me, was transformed into a thing a radiance and beauty. The skeleton that looked worn and tattered in its real state, became in its reflection a thing a true beauty. I once again stopped and asked myself," Self, are you like that tree?" And Self answered humbly, "I sure hope so."