Spiritual growth – Long walks and dark chocolate

Who Do You Look Like?

My cousin has an adorable little boy, Bennett, who looks just like his dad. Not long ago, at a family gathering, I overheard several people say things like, “He is the spitting image of his dad,” and “He sure does favor him.” We hear phrases like that often when a child strongly resembles a parent.

Other times, a baby may not seem to look much like either parent at all, and someone inevitably asks, “Who do you think the baby looks like?” You can almost sense the hope behind the question. Most parents long to see some part of themselves reflected in their child.

We use all kinds of phrases to describe resemblance:
“takes after,” “mini-me,” “chip off the old block,” or “favoring” someone in the family.

Adult and child walking on coastal path with ocean and cliffs in background

Children resemble their parents largely because of genetics, but as they grow, they often begin to reflect more than appearance. Mannerisms, expressions, habits, and even responses are learned through time spent together.

I found myself thinking about that this morning.

The other day, I was in a situation where I could feel my own moodiness and frustration rising. As I spoke within the group I was with, I knew my words were not coming from a place of kindness, patience, or grace.

Although my husband and I faithfully read Scripture, pray, and do devotionals together each morning, I realized I had neglected my own quiet time alone with God. Usually, after my husband leaves, I spend additional time praying, reflecting, meditating on His Word, and simply being still before Him.

And I can tell the difference when I don’t.

There are days when I feel I reflect Jesus far more clearly than others. As His follower, it is my responsibility to recognize when my heart is drifting and return to the only place where true transformation happens: His presence.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after spending time with God, his face literally shone. The change was so visible that he wore a veil before the people (see Exodus 34:29–35).

And in 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are reminded that we are being:

“changed into the same image from glory to glory.”

The more time we spend with Him, the more we should begin to resemble Him:

in character,
in holiness,
in peace,
in love,
and in the way we respond to the world around us.

Perhaps the real question is not simply who we resemble outwardly, but:
Who do we reflect most clearly with our lives?

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” – Romans 8:29

Pointing Others to Joy

“Don’t point.”

We were taught this as children, and many of us have taught it to our own.

I remember those tiny fingers and the excited, “Look, Mommy!” and the quiet hope that what they had spotted was a butterfly, a bird, or even the candy counter at the grocery store. Please, not another person.

Children learn quickly that pointing at others can embarrass and can wound. In their innocence and honesty, they don’t yet understand the weight their words and actions can carry.

And yet, pointing does have its place.

It can be helpful, even necessary, when showing someone the way.

The other day, while walking with my husband, he spotted a deer I couldn’t see. “Look, honey… no, over here. If you stand there and look between that tulip poplar and the maple—you’ll see a twisted branch. Look right under that. Yes, right there.”

He stood near my line of vision and gently pointed me toward something beautiful I would have otherwise missed.

That stayed with me.

Curved road through green fields and flowering trees with hills in the background

This morning, during my time with God, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for all He has done for me, and for how much lighter life feels when it is fully surrendered to Him.

And I do mean fully.

Because when surrender is partial, when we hold tightly to the very things He is asking us to release, life remains heavier than it needs to be.

Let me be clear: life is difficult. We live in a fallen world, and following Christ does not remove that reality.

But it does change how we walk through it.

We are given a peace that passes understanding.
We are given Someone to run to—Someone who hears us, holds us, and understands us.

Jesus Himself walked this earth. He was mocked, betrayed, and ultimately crucified. He knows what it is to be rejected, to grieve, to watch others choose sin over life.

He understands.

And because of that, I’ve come to see that the only way for me to walk this life with joy is through complete surrender.

Which brings me back to pointing.

At this stage of life, what I long for most is not to point out flaws or differences, but to point others to Him.

To gently guide, as my husband did, toward something they might not yet see.

To point out His radiance, His beauty, His creativity, and His forgiveness.

To help others find what is already there, waiting to be seen.

I want to point people to Him,
fully, completely, and faithfully.