Our Faces Convey a Message

Gene and I spent three hours in the Cairo airport this week. While there, I made a quick stop in the women’s washroom. After I washed my hands, an Egyptian airport worker handed me a paper towel. I thanked her and smiled. The woman’s face lit up and she nodded.

I exited the washroom at the same time Gene exited the men’s washroom several feet away. A male airport worker standing in the doorway thrust his hand toward Gene. Palm turned up, this indicated his request for a coin. Gene obliged.

The female worker followed suit a second later, so Gene placed one in her hand too. She broke into a broad grin and said, “Beautiful.” Then she pointed at our faces and repeated, “Beautiful, beautiful.”

What did the woman see that she considered lovely?

Our language barrier made it impossible to ask, but I’d like to think it was the beauty of Jesus reflected in our countenance.

Psalm 34:5 says,

“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”  

What do people see when they look at me and you? Do they see eyebrows furrowed from fear? Do they see a face clouded by unforgiveness or anger? Or do they see peace and contentment? Do they recognize kindness and approachability?

Our faces convey a message understood by all, regardless of language.

How can we ensure the message we communicate is a positive one? By keeping our focus on Jesus moment by moment—especially when we’re feeling tired or anxious or angry. We do this through specific actions such as talking with Him as we would a close friend, calling to mind Scriptures we’ve memorized, or listening to worship music.

The more consistently our gaze lingers on Jesus, the more our expression reflects His peace and kindness. And that’s what we want, right? To mirror Him to all with whom we have contact, whether they live under our roof or whether we meet them only once in our lifetime.

Photo courtesy of Image by FotografieLink on Pixabay