The Image of God

Today's post was reblogged from Beth Kirchner's blog, "Twinkly Twins", simply because the truth she wrote about was once my truth. 

"Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness'" 
                                                                                            - Genesis 1:26

Before going to the ship, I remember watching video clips of the work Mercy Ships does and, quite honestly, I remember turning my face away or closing my eyes sometimes. Some of the patients were just plain hard to look at. I'm a fairly squeamish person and I wasn't sure what it would be like when I actually got to the ship and saw people in real life, not just on a screen, with bowed legs, huge tumors, burns and other disturbing maladies. I am here to tell you that although I admit to turning my face away from the videos, NOT ONCE did I ever feel the desire to turn my face away from an actual person sitting next to me or in the hospital bed in front of me. That HAD to have been Jesus giving me His eyes. There's no other explanation. It should be harder to see it in real life, but the opposite was true. It was impossible to look at these people and not see the beautiful image of God in them. So, I want to share these beautiful faces with you in hopes that you too will catch a glimpse of the image of God; in hopes that perhaps one day you too might consider volunteering onboard the Africa Mercy where you will have the privilege of standing face to face with people like the ones who are shown here and bask in the beauty as God leads your eyes past all else to look on His children who He loves and created in His image.