Who do you reflect?

It was my day off. That meant I was catching up on errands around town and running Makayla to a dentist appointment. I hadn’t necessarily prepared myself for conversation, rather I was thinking about the things that I needed to get done. We were hunched over, engrossed playing a game on my phone while we waited. When our hygienist came out in her dentist mask and garb, we didn’t notice, at first. “Makayla Geverdt?” she called.

“Oh, yes, that’s us.” I answered. She greeted us and then asked, “You’re Rusty, aren’t you?” I was taken aback—How does this woman know me? I wondered. I didn’t recognize her behind the dental mask.

She read my confused look and said, “I bet you get that a lot. People recognize you before you recognize them.” She had me there, it’s happened a fair bit. “My name is Rachel,” she said as she pulled down her mask. Behind it was a beautiful smiling face. “Our family has been attending Northstar in the last months, so I’ve seen you up front.”

Yes, she seemed familiar, though we had yet to meet. We shared a few pleasantries as we moved down the hallway and positioned Makayla in the dentist chair. 

In those brief moments, I did a self-inventory of a few things I might have considered had I expected interaction:  Was my hair combed? What was I wearing? Did I present a warm and interested persona? Did I brush my teeth? It wasn’t my appointment, but I always feel a little guilty when I enter a dentists’ waiting room. It was a silly flash thought, and once I put it out of my mind, we enjoyed a little ‘getting to know ya’ conversation while she inspected Makayla’s teeth. No cavities, by the way! Bonus.

Later in the day, I was whistling my way down the aisles of Kroger looking for paper cups. I had just paused, scanning the shelves with what must have been a confused look on my face. Am I in the right aisle? I thought. Just then a woman with a full grocery cart turned to me, saying, “You’re Rusty, right?” That surprised me as I turned towards her. She looked familiar, but I was out of context. “Uh, yes, yes, it is.” “I thought so,” she said. “My name is Maria, my husband is…” Again, it took a second to orient, but synapses fired. “Oh yes! now I remember.” She’d recognized me first, and I played catch up. Not unusual for me with most things.

I had been cleaning the garage earlier, and am sure I looked a bit disheveled, so my quick inventory went out the window. “Great to see you,” I said. “Looks like you’re loading up for the week. Me, I’m on the hunt for paper cups.” Laughing, she said, “I just passed them, over in the next aisle.” As she pointed the way we both said our goodbyes and carried on shopping in opposite directions. 

"Is my life congruent with what I say and believe about the Lord?"

That evening, while recounting those stories to my wife, I wondered how I was experienced by others in those unexpected moments. Was my life congruent with what I say and believe about the Lord? Was I distant, dismissive, or put out? In truth, I felt pretty good about these exchanges, but that’s not always been the case. 

Do you ever wonder what your resting face communicates in an unexpected moment? When you’re off the clock, or in a different environment, what translation of God are you reflecting? I love when Paul encourages Timothy, saying, “Preach the word:  be prepared in season and out of season…" (2 Tim. 4:2)

Living mindfully, with Holy Spirit consideration, and looking for the gold within others, is a great way to “preach the word” to a tone-deaf world around us. These days seem to be wound tighter, making kind and encouraging moments shine all the brighter. Look for them and they will find you. 

I’ve long desired to radiate God’s warmth and encouragement to those around me, whether caught off-guard or not. I think I’m making progress, but it’s hard to tell. I feel more genuine, more congruent in my attempts. I’m sure God is encouraging me on. He sure seems to have given me a lot of unexpected opportunities, lately, perhaps I’m a little rusty ;)  Perhaps that’s the message God is giving to me through those women… “You’re rusty…” haha. 

Who are you when you think no one is looking? What you reflect is what you’re holding in your heart and mind at the moment.