The Fingerprints of Christ

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

Costco is either the best or worst thing that ever happened to me. A natural sucker for a bargain, nothing says savings to me like a 24 pack of toilet paper or a gallon jar of pickles. Truth be told though, my stock-piling tendencies actually took root before I even knew that warehouse shopping was available.

For example, before the birth of each of my children I saw to it that I had a 500 day supply of Q-tips on hand. This was essential to my childbirth preparation because of the approximate one-week period during which the newborn would have her umbilical stump, which necessitated cleaning with a Q-tip. At last count, I still have about 1,950 of these Q-tips on hand.

On thing's sure - no one can deny that I'm supplied and ready for the day's events. Perhaps my bulk-buying ways says something else about me too. Just as a 12 pack of paper towels can be seen at a distance of 100 yards, maybe deep down I'd like what I do to be seen, recognized, acknowledged or better yet even recorded.

Today I am reading Acts, Chapter 24. Paul is in Caesarea, imprisoned by the governor Felix. Five days after his arrival, the Jews show up from Rome to argue for Paul's punishment (Verses 1-9). Paul rebuts their accusations (Verses 10-21). For the remainder of the chapter, Felix allows Paul's friends to take care of his needs (Verse 23) and occasionally visit with him (Verses 24-26). Somehow we reach the end of the chapter and Paul has been rotting their in jail for two years (Verses 27).

Two years is a long time. Surely Paul penned some of his famous letters during this time or ministered in some significant way. The longer I researched this, the more I became convinced that Paul did nothing that was considered important enough to be recorded by history during his two-year stay in Caesarea. I'm tempted to think, "What a waste," until I realize that all my two-year life segments might be categorized in the same way. Is a life a waste if nothing noteworthy or enduring ever happens to that person or gets recorded in the annals of history?

• To the child to whom a book is read, the reader is a vessel of learning
• To the person for whom a meal is fixed, the chef is a giver of strength and energy
• To the daughter for whom a life is patterned, the mother is the founder of a legacy

Truly, a woman's biography is written on the pages of the generations who follow her. What I do today in the seemingly insignificant sphere of my home, workplace or community leaves a lasting imprint on those I serve. Today may the imprint I leave on those I encounter read, "Christian (Like Christ)."