Recently my daughter asked me if she had school pictures and truthfully I couldn’t remember.

But I resolved to look through three or four boxes of pictures stored in a closet. I knew they wouldn’t be in the photo albums but thought maybe I had some stowed away.

Well, I found pictures, pictures and more pictures but not what she was looking for.

I found myself going through a box of memorabilia marked (“Grandma Branding’s) and in the process I shed a few tears. This was a box of my mother’s. I found copies of all the ‘thank you notes my girls had written my parents. I found my high school report cards plus a copy of an introductory speech I gave at my high school graduation. There were pictures of my grandparent’s fiftieth anniversary. There were also pictures of my mother and all of her sisters and brothers as well as one of my father’s brothers and sisters. Also included were clippings of death notices of her brother’s and sisters. I took a trip back in time and it stirred many emotions.

I felt like a little girl again and found some of the notes and treasures my mother had kept unlocked memories and feelings from long ago. More than once, tears welled up in my eyes as so many thoughts of times past crowded into my memory.

I opened another box and was astounded to find a picture of my oldest daughter at about four months and thought I was looking at my youngest great grandchild…such big, big eyes in such a chubby, round little face.

As I continued to browse through boxes of photos, I found pictures of my husband’s family also. I never knew his mother as she died when the four boys were young…the oldest in early teens and the youngest about eight I think (not sure). But as I looked at the boys, I found either the eyes or the smiles the same as those of their children.

Sometimes what makes someone look so familiar is the actual physical appearance but often it is a certain action or way of walking, looking or speaking that brings someone into our memory.

I am always astounded when something I have experienced is found in reading materials I am presently reading.

Having taken this trip back into the past via pictures and notes, I happened to read about how people resemble others and how sometimes it isn’t the physical appearance but rather actions.

I’ll admit that what I read was in a devotional and that the article concluded with the fact that as children of God we should resemble not only God’s characteristics but also those of fellow believers. It suggested that we ought to be able to recognize each other by our actions.

I’ll admit that I do believe it is true, but I’ll also admit that I suppose there are times when I might act in such a way that I couldn’t be recognized because frustration or anger caused me to act in a way I later regretted. I’m sure the action wasn’t recognizable as that of a loving, caring Christian. I would venture to guess that most of us have at one time or another, failed to act in a caring, loving way and later regretted the action.

I’ve watched as my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have been baptized into the family of God and I’ve often referred to all of us as God’s children.

Now in our earthly families, we are prone to say someone has eyes like their Uncle or walks and talks like their Dad. Perhaps it is that a daughter has the same smile as her mother and reminds everyone of mother when she was a young girl.

However, race, nationality, sex and other ways we classify ourselves in earthly terms do not play a part in being recognized as God’s child.

It is the gift of faith that begins to transform us. It is not our physical appearance or age that denotes who we are in the realm of God’s world.

It is when those with whom we live, work and interact begin to see the love of God in our lives that we change. People can see in our choices the love that Jesus showed when He lived those years ago.

When such change comes into our lives, perhaps our outward appearance doesn’t change drastically, but the way we live, act, care for others, change us.

We begin to resemble not only our earthly family but also the fact that we are a part of God’s family.

I know you must get tired of me saying that it is important to be loving, forgiving, caring, committed, generous, and all the other attributes that find their way into our lives and change everything about us. But I think we all need a ‘wake up’ call from time to time, myself included.

Am I all that I want to be? Of course not. I make mistakes daily and sometimes hourly. I regret actions or words for which I’ve been responsible. But one thing I’ve learned in this long life is that I can say “I’m sorry” and with forgiveness from individuals and from God, I can move ahead, trying to do and to be better and acknowledging that in spite of my best efforts, I might just fail again.

Isn’t it a wonderful gift to know that God doesn’t expect perfection? He expects love and commitment, but in my heart I think He also knows I might ‘goof’ from time to time and if I acknowledge those ‘goofs’, He offers forgiveness and another chance.

We as parents would like our children to do everything properly and according to our way and the rules of society. Do they always follow our wishes? I don’t think so.

Does that mean we stop loving them? I don’t think that is true either. I think we are hurt, sometimes angry, and disappointed when they make big mistakes, but we try to help them overcome and we don’t cease loving and praying for them.

If we as mere mortals try so hard to be there for our children and families, how can we ever doubt that we are ‘children’ of a loving God who is more powerful than we can begin to comprehend. This is a God who loved us enough to send us a Savior to atone for our sins.

Now if we want to be recognized by our physical attributes, we can check our lineage, but if we want to be recognized as God’s child, I think then we pray each and every day that we are recognized as God’s child by the way we interact and show God’s love to others.

Just whom will we resemble in the days and months ahead. I don’t know but I sure hope I grow more in the ways that make me recognizable as God’s child.