Which One Doesn't Belong?

I fondly remember those puzzle workbooks I used to fill out. What fun it was to look at a series of objects and try to figure out which one didn't belong. I was reminded of that today when I made my usual Monday afternoon hospital calls. Since the hospital is pretty close to my house I decided to meet Keri and Jake for lunch. And since it was such a nice day I decided to ride my motorcycle back to work instead of my car. No big deal, right? But when I pulled my shiny red motorcycle into the parking spot marked with the large "clergy only" sign, I received no small number of nasty looks. "What's that young guy on that shiny bike doing stealing the clergy parking space," I could see them thinking. I guess I was the object in the series that didn't seem to fit. I'm really glad God doesn't judge me by what other people see.

Which reminds me. Jake's interest in Bible stories right now is pretty much limited to the story of David and Goliath. He told me today that he didn't want anything other than the Old Testament because of the story of the little guy's victory over the giant. Given the fact that he's not much more than three feet tall, I can appreciate his admiration. But in addition to being a heretic (a thoroughly mixed up Marcionite, in case you're wondering), I just don't think I can read that story one more time. Then it struck me, that story is sorta like my experience at the hospital. David was judged by all to be completely out of place, ill-suited and ill-equipped for the task at hand. It seemed like a joke that no one thought was funny. But in the end, what God sought out was someone who was willing to fight for His honor and His glory, and he didn't particularly care what he looked like on the outside (or what he drove).

It's a good reminder. God doesn't particularly care about what other people see, because he looks beyond that. God told Samuel, "man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." God give me a heart that strives for your glory...and remind me to put my clergy parking pass in plain sight.