store robbery in Cayton, England

Have you ever thought, really thought, about what people see when they look
at you? Our lives and actions can often tell those who have never met us
formally, what we are really like.

I read about a robber, Clive Bunyan who robbed a store in Cayton, England.
Before he entered the store he put on his motorcycle helmet which had a dark
full face cover shield, so he felt protected from identification. He entered
the store and ordered the person behind the counter to empty the cash
register. He then ran out and hopped on his motorcycle and took off.

To his great surprise, it wasn't long after he returned home that the police
were knocking on his door. What gave him away? It seems that in large
letters above the dark faceplate was the name of the owner, Clive Bunyan."

A couple of scriptures came to mind as I read the above story. One of my
favorites is Matthew 5:16 where Jesus warns us, "In the same way, let your
good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your
heavenly Father. Then there is Romans 13:13 where Paul writes, "Because we
belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't
participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual
promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.

What people see when they look at you? We may think that we are anonymous,
that they really can't tell anything about us, but as the old saying goes,
"actions speak louder than words." I don't know about you but sometimes I am
a total failure at letting the name, "God's Child" be seen on my face. More
often than not I project the darkened faceplate that I think keeps people
from seeing the real me. What is it that gives away your real nature? What
are you projecting? What is it that is out there for all to see?

Russ Lawson