From All Appearances

I wasn’t actually kicking and screaming but I entered the large building reluctantly. Dee led the way with a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a spring in her step. After passing through a major department store, we entered the wide, active corridor, complete with vendors and busy shoppers, each shopper hustling and bustling in and out of their favorite stores.

My task was simple; find a ‘guy bench’ in that corridor and wait while Dee browsed the stores on the perimeter. Once that section was scoped out, we moved on to the next bench and its adjoining stores. My biggest mistake was forgetting to bring a book so I had little to do but to observe the other shoppers who passed through my territory. The variety of wildlife was amazing. All ages and manner of dress were observed. Since it was hot outside, many of the individuals in the parade wore shorts. In too many cases, this was a mistake.

Personally, I know better than to wear shorts, especially in public. I have no desire to have individuals point their fingers at me in the mall and scream in panic, “Oh noooooooo, it’s the attack of the tarantula people!”

Some people dress to make a statement, although I’m not always sure what they are trying to say. Mostly I think it is, “Notice me.” “I’m pretty, I’m wealthy, I’m cool, I’m different.” It’s interesting how many people try to look or act ‘different’ but appear exactly the same as every one else who is ‘different.’ I find this reminiscent of the 1960’s when thousands of young people conformed to non-conformity. My manner of dress usually makes a clear statement, “I’m old and make no attempt to look cool.”

Where we are often obsessed with our outward appearance, God is more concerned with what is in an individual’s heart. “The Lord does not look at things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) When the heart is right it will be reflected in the way we look at others and will dramatically affect the way we treat them.