What's your heritage? What's your life saying about you?

Many years ago, my husband and I joined my parents on an incredibly memorable trip to Holland.  Both my parents were born and raised in Holland, and eventually immigrated to Canada.  However, the majority of my relatives with the exception of one family all lived outside of Canada - and most of them were in Holland.

I had remembered visiting Holland as a child, but was so excited to be able to bring my husband back there to show him all those things I remembered as a child.  We had the opportunity to meet several of my aunts and uncles and cousins, and even were able to see the homes where my Mom and Dad grew up in.  In fact, we stayed in the very home that my father grew up in.

The Langendoen farmhouse was amazing.  While it had gone under some transformations, it was amazing how similar it was and how it brought back so many memories from my visits there as a child.  One of the things that I have cherished was finding the Langendoen family crest.  As a child I had not known it existed, but when we went back in 1993, I saw it displayed up on the Langendoen family home - proudly indicating that this was a home that belonged to the Langendoen's.  Several years later, I decided to get that same crest as a tattoo.  I am proud of my dutch family heritage and that I come from the Langendoen family.

As I've thought about that crest and what it means, I realized that if anyone actually recognized that crest they would know that I am a Langendoen because it is proudly tattooed on my body.

And from that, I've wondered what kind of crest am I displaying for those around me.  Every day, each of us presents a crest to the world.  What is it saying?  Does our crest make people realize that we are children of God?  Does what I do, show others around me the things that God has called me to do and be?  What are my actions speaking?  I might not be wearing a crest for others to see, but my actions certainly are speaking volumes.

Over the years, as we have met different people and interacted with them, there have been, on occasion, times when Keith & I have walked away from a conversation knowing without a doubt that that individual was a Christian.  Not so much by their words, but by their actions.  The gentleness, the kindness that they displayed.  Or we've come away from a situation and commented how we wondered if that person was a Christian because of the things that maybe weren't said - a situation where someone may have held their tongue. (Oh, sadly not my strong suit!)  There have also been times when we have met someone and by their words have realized that they are Christians.  But they have worn their Christianity - whether by word or deed - as a crest - a badge - for all to see.  They are a child of God.  They live their lives for all to see.  They share Christ wherever they go - just by being themselves.

Oh how I hope that my life would speak like that.  I hope that the actions I show to others shine like a tattoo on my life that I am forever linked to Christ.  I pray that through my life - in all I do - and in my case - in all I say, that I will speak Jesus.  That my life will radiate His message.

This is my prayer for you - for me - today.  That we will bear Christ, like a tattoo on our lives.  That all who see us will recognize Christ through us!!!

Ephesians 3:18-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.