Clay in the Hands

I was waiting at a cash register recently and no one was there to check me out.  I was in a hurry and had places I needed to be.  Finally, the employee happened over and rang up my purchase.  I have to confess that my frustration probably clouded my perception of that person – OK – no question that it did.

I was reading in Matthew this morning about Jesus’ parable about how if we have shown compassion and love to even the least, we have shown it to him.  Wow!  It hit me in that moment that everyone of us, according to the first chapter of Genesis, is created in God’s image, even that person at the register.  But in my frustration of the moment, I admit, I was not looking for the image of God in that person.

The question I have to ask myself (and perhaps you can ask yourself if you have ever been in that type situation) is this:  “How different would my interaction with that person have been had I been focused on finding the image of God in that person?”  Mind you, I was not rude or obnoxious with the person (even though a part of me wanted to be) but I was not compassionate or caring either.

I challenge you today to search out the image of God in the people you meet.  Seek to minister to everyone you come in contact with – Jesus said whatever we have done with the least of these, we have done with him.