Reflections of a Father

When I peer into the sweet face of my 8-year-old grandson, I see our family’s big, brown, almond-shaped eyes. I see the brown hair that’s so prevalent in our family tree. My grandson’s physical appearance reflects our ancestral family—down through time. He is a reflection of his father.

DNA—God’s Creative Genius on Display

There’s nothing my grandson did to look like us, of course. God made him that way. It’s a function of God’s amazing system of genetics. It’s the same for his four sisters—yes, I said four. He’s a boisterous boy in a sea of pink. Our granddaughters also share many of the family traits. They look like their father, our oldest son.

Upon the birth of each successive grandchild, I can barely wait to see them for the first time, wondering if they’ll resemble our side of the family. Admittedly, I’m somewhat obsessed with it. Mostly because I’m really into ancestry and have studied our family tree for years. I love seeing subtle, and not so subtle, traits passed down through several generations (like my strangely curved middle toes, hehe).

A Ginger Baby on the Way?

Recently, our son and his wife, a beautiful redhead, had their first child. It was a girl. We were so excited to possibly have a ginger granddaughter in the family. Would this little grand unexpectedly shatter the DNA firewall?

Surprise, surprise . . . she looks just like her father—big dark brown peepers and the family’s dark hair. Of course, it could still turn that lovely shade of red of her mother, which would be wonderful.

Every one of our grands thus far, physically resemble their father.

Reflecting God’s Character to the World

This got me thinking about what people see when they look at me—not my physical traits, but my non-physical ones. Am I reflecting the character of Jesus Christ? The Bible reveals our heavenly Father as love, mercy, and grace. He is forgiveness, and goodness, and holiness. These are some of his communicable attributes. That means they are traits we can possess, too. In His Word, He repeatedly tells us we should exhibit these characteristics to the world. Believers have the Holy Spirit inside us to give us that ability. How are we doing?

Our beautiful daughter is due to have her first baby very soon. Her husband is a redhead. That means we have another chance at a ginger baby. Yay! We’ll see what God has in store for us this time. Every one of those grandkids of ours are precious in his sight and precious to us—no matter who they resemble.

Obedience in the Waiting

Let’s remember that, as believers, we are to reflect the qualities of Jesus Christ. That means our words, actions, and attitudes should mirror his. I’m the first to admit, I never get it perfectly right. I’m a lowly sinner in the process of sanctification. God is still working on me and will be until he comes again to obliterate evil, and restore all things. In the meantime, I am called to be obedient to His Word—to show love and mercy, put others first, and forgive unconditionally. I’m called to be like Jesus—a refection of my Father.

This week let’s think about whether we’re reflecting the character of Jesus Christ as we work and play and serve. God is pleased when we love others as He did. He is pleased when we readily forgive offenses. Our obedience to His Word proves our love for Him.

“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)

Update: Our daughter had her baby—a boy—he has blue eyes, a tint of red hair, and looks just like his father. The firewall has been broken!