My husband and I walked down to the lake, which lay still in the early morning sunshine. Its surface perfectly reflected the world above – hills of dark green fir and pine and a deep blue sky with puffy white clouds floating by. I couldn’t even distinguish the actual colour of the water, so bright were the reflections.

If only I could reflect God in such a way! The Bible helps by showing me how to live by Jesus’ example. He loved the poor, reached out to help the sick and forgave those who hurt him. But still I ask myself, ‘Why is it so hard for me to live the same way?’ Perhaps my soul becomes agitated by stress, by guilt over wrongs I have done or by memories of times I’ve been hurt.

When we find ourselves stumbling over such obstacles, we  can allow God to calm these storms by singing songs of praise, praying for forgiveness and focusing on our blessings. As we do so, the inner dis- turbances subside. We will be more able to reflect the beauty and light of God’s love.

Prayer: Dear Lord, revive us with your Spirit so that we will reflect your love to everyone around us. Amen