B E H I N D / T H E / B A R

I have a little routine I try to follow before I leave my house:

Check my hair. Check my teeth. Check my fly. Keys. Wallet.  All systems are go.

But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been made increasingly more aware of the need to check my face.  I shared this thought with our RiverChurch family in yesterday’s sermon, about the importance of considering the normal expression on my face.  Not the one I put on when I’m in front of the public, or the smile I smile when someone takes my picture.  The one that I have when I’m just walking around the house, or doing my “thing.”

My wife made a statement to me last week, that bugged me.  “The kids ask me all the time, ‘What’s wrong with dad?'”  From time to time I give off the vibe with my family that I’m bugged, mad, stressed, or bothered by something.  I’m not comfortable with the fact that they’re asking “What’s wrong with dad?”  I would rather they ask, “What’s dad so happy about?”  “Why is he smiling?” “What’s so funny, Dad?”   Or better yet I want them to not ask at all.  I want a pleasant expression to be the norm, not the exception.

I asked my kids to help keep me accountable with this past week.  I told them to take pics of me when I wasn’t aware of what they were doing, and to send them to me.  Boy, did they ever jump on that.  They sent me a lot, some I can’t show you.  But I shared this 25 second clip with our church family yesterday.  And I’ll share it with you here in an effort to sort of step out there and say, this is an area that needs some work in my life.

I dare say, its something you could work on too, especially us men.

Numbers 6:24-26 is one really cool set of verses.  It says:

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

I shared the thought with our community of faith yesterday, that we become what we behold.  If we are always focusing on the stressful, uncertain, aggravating circumstances of life, we will reflect a countenance that is stressful, uncertain, and aggravated.  But if we are looking into the face of God regularly.  If His face is shining on mine, if His countenance is lifted up on mine, then my face will reflect the light, the life, the love that is in His.

So here’s Man Challenge Monday#MCM:

Go get in God’s face TODAY!

Let His face shine on yours, then go home, and make your wife and kids wonder “What’s up with Dad?”  Check your face.

And now for your viewing pleasure (and my public humiliation) I give you “The Faces of Shannon.”