In His Image

I have been thinking a lot these days about the phrase, "in His image," in the Bible in Genesis.

It seems that as Christians we take this one small phrase for granted. Yes we all get that it means we are created in to be like Him somehow. But what really does that mean? Did He really need to tell us that just so that we know he has a head and arms and legs? Jesus came in human form... so that answered that.

Or did God tell us this for a different reason?

maybe there's really something else about God that He wants us know.  You see I think his telling us that we were created in His image has more to do with how we relate and how we REFLECT that image than with what we look like or what you look like or what Jesus even looked like . I think it has to do with the whole ability to create, the ability to love, and especially our ability to forgive one another with grace.

In fact I think that the reason he told us that we were created in His image is because nobody can see God and so since we are His image it is up to us to help those who don't know him by our own lives.... so that through us, by looking at each other and getting to know one another we can get to know God, and get to know Jesus. And then we can begin to understand the nature of God . God here on earth in fact.

If we take this idea one step further I think we are meant to understand the nature of God to be one of a loving CREATOR, so that we can reflect that. One way is by our own creations - for example, we create when we write which then reflects who we are just as we are supposed to reflect who God is.

Think about it - only a few people you meet each day have read or will read the Bible, but if they know that you know God, then they should be drawn to want to read it by what they see in you. They may be watching you and come to know who HE is through you as His image. I think that's the key.

As the scripture says we are his workmanship created for good works in Christ, so I think we need to keep His image in mind as we project who we are to others. if we are not always always mindful of that in the things we do we will not be creating a good image of our Creator for others.

What kind of image are you showing of your Creator today?

To sleep perchance to dream?

   I often lay awake late at night or in early mornings waiting for my body and mind to let go of each other. I imagine a tug of war as my consciousness pulls and resists against my subconscious, fighting for every moment, to suck every last blink of awareness out of the "day."
   And I feel the battle in its physical manifestation as my body, tired out from being awake longer than it should, shows signs of fatigue in the tremors and weaknesses that threaten to overtake me when my energy flags even a little. My mind too screams out in anger and frustration at these weaknesses... even as it is being ravaged by this war as well - with memories slipping away that were once clear and bright, and fear of mistakes tinging the edges of once simple decisions and choices.
   There is no doubt that age is playing a part in this battle, of course. But it is an old fight and not one that age has been a key player. No, it is the Self, the carnal desire to just BE and at the same time to be IN control of something which none of us CAN control. It seems that where I have tried my best to control my environment and failed because it is beyond my - our - control, I have instead turned my efforts subconsciously toward controlling that which one would expect to have complete control - myself.
   However, instead, I have found that the only thing about my SELF which I can truly control is how I AM. It is no small point of frustration to have realized that this struggle that goes on between my wakeful and resting self is no more within my power to conquer than if I tried to grow an extra head or arm or such. I am simply wasting my time.
   And yet I continue to try. Here I lay, struggling make my body sleep instead of  staying awake. And I am powerless in this, too.  So I wait as always, for sleep to overtake ME. For my body to lose the battle once more and quietly fall asleep.  Wish me luck, again. And I will perhaps see you in my dreams.

Why do we blog?

I seriously do not like to blog. In fact, I cringe every time I click the "Post" button on any social media website in which my thoughts instantly become accessible to everyone on the planet with a computer and internet connection.  So why do I overcome my fear and make the effort to post words that may not even get read, or possibly may incite an internet riot?

I can tell you that most of the time, after I've read about 10-20 blogs by my friends and colleagues, I begin to feel comforted, thinking, "If he or she can write a blow-by-blow account of their entire boring day, why can't I?  And I fall for it nearly every time.  The temptation to make oneself feel "heard" is too powerful. We all want that validation that we're not crazy and there really are 60 thousand other people who accidentally stapled their homework onto their thumbs. 

Of course there are those who are not going through anything particularly important or painful, or exciting at the time, but most people can easily recall when a time when they were. It's just the thought that someone, somewhere, does feel, or has felt what I do right now, that makes us do this.  

Oh, and there's another reason. The real reason for me.  Many people just want to make some small contribution in the world.  The idea of being "heard" is more than just someone saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean."  It's someone saying, "Oh yeah, I never really thought about it that way."  For those people, like me, who have that little bug, you KNOW what I mean.  Your heart kind of does a little jump when someone says something like that. 

Come on, admit it.  When you share something on Facebook, don't you go through to look at the comments, just hoping that maybe SOMEONE will say, "That's great, I never heard that before." Or even better, "I am going to try that!"  Not everyone cares about that kind of thing, but you know who you are, if you do.  

And the worse part is that we also care when we don't get the kudos, or even worse, when someone criticizes. It's not that we feel we're always right, because I certainly know I'm not. But, when you take the chance to say what you FEEL, or something you just learned, or something that has just occurred to you - it's painful when people tell you it's stupid or cut you down. Most of the time, I can handle someone who simply disagrees, but when they make it personal - perhaps complaining about the way it's worded, or how long it is, or worse, that it's just boring or stupid, then don't we all begin to doubt ourselves just a tiny bit?

Well, I've decided that I'm going to be bigger than all that. I've claimed my tiny corner of Blogdom and put my name on it. This is ellen-land, and I am free to say what I want, when I want and how I want. And if someone doesn't agree, they can jump off the web... And just go find someone else's blog to read. I mean, that's the point, isn't it?  We have the choice to read what we want, so if you don't like what I have to say, then don't read it.  

So there. My declaration of "indeblogdence."  No, it's not in the dictionary, and I CLAIM IT.
~~Nancy Ellen Earhart