The Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

I Samuel 16:7

Mark, our third born, decided to enter the world a little early-three weeks before his due date. The first two children had been two or three weeks late, so the weekend of Mark’s arrival we had felt no qualms about taking the  other children camping. We arrived at the camp-ground, whichwas about an hour and a half from home, when I had a strange sensation, as pregnant women often do. Then my water broke. We explained to the children that we had to pack up and head back home.

During our ninety-minute ride home, my brain clicked off the list of chores to be done before I could go to the hospital. I was concerned that I wasn’t yet prepared for a visit from my mother; for instance, my oven had not been cleaned yet. So I got home, packed my bag for the hospital, unpacked everything from the camping trip, and then proceeded to clean my oven as my labor continued.

I cringe a little today at that memory of cleaning my oven. I see it as a picture of my own insecurity, which motivated me to obsess on the outward appearance of my house at a time when I should have been focusing on the arrival of a precious new family member. I was trying to impress my mother, who loved me whether my oven was clean or not!

Thought:  Today, I will not focus on the external, but rather on who I am in my heart-as the Lord does.