My Kaleidoscope

Colossians 3:12-1
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Kaleidoscopes kept me entertained for hours as a child. I enjoyed seeing the various shapes and colors change. The mirrors inside the long, narrow, cardboard tube reflected the various objects that tumbled inside. The ones with tiny pieces of glass made the most intriguing images. As an adult I’ve replaced the paper cylinders with handcrafted stained glass and interchangeable marbles and one that holds a glass wand with floating sparkles. Whether I looked through the dime store variety or the more sophisticated, I enjoyed the changing collage.

As a child of God, my father wants me to reflect him. Like the kaleidoscope, life as a Christian holds many facets. Sometimes thinking about all of the qualities that God wants me to show makes my head spin. How can I express compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love and peace every day? When I glimpsed the beautiful colors in my favorite toy, I held it up to the light. Without the light no shapes appeared. The same goes for my life. I must look to Jesus light and reflect him. As his love shines on me, I send it out to the people around me. The same goes for all of the other wonderful qualities that God wants me to share. And for that I am thankful.