Things aren't always as they seem

For the past few weeks I have been looking at potential houses that I would like to live in down the road.  Yesterday I actually went and looked at one of those houses.  What a different presentation in person!  The house did not look very much like the pictures online.  I was a bit disappointed and then realized that I had "imagined" what the parts of the property would look like.  The differences between my imagination and reality were quite significant.  Pondering the property on my way home I was struck by that same fact in how I (we) imagine others to be whom we have not met yet.  We imagine this car versus that car and then end up with the lemon.  We choose to imagine we can create that dish that we saw on TV but in reality are lucky to be able to boil water.  Our social life has a tension of its own when we imagine what this person looks like, how that person talks, and generally how we want them to present.  Finally, there is the dilemma of a new job.  We interview well, they present well and when we take the job we settle into the reality.  Disappointed, we tough it out.  Much the same in some relationships.  And yes, that cute little $80.00 purse doesn't go with that blouse like you thought it would.  The spiritual realm is much the same.  We paint mental pictures of all kinds for our kids and when they grow up they do the same for their kids.  What does reality look like in our spiritual lives.  For beginners, the image of Jesus isn't what reality would present.  He most likely was not blond and blue eyed and a Caucasian.  What!!??  It shouldn't really matter.  But it does.  We focus on something that means little in the real world and eternity while missing out on the important stuff.  We look forward to what heaven is going to be like.  Do we put our unsaved neighbor in the picture or have we neglected telling them about Jesus?  So, what does the picture of your life and circumstances really look like?  What do you present of your Christianity so that people "looking" will want to buy your goods?  Over time I have been able to be more "real" and congruent with what Christianity is.  I'm not there yet.  Some days I fail miserably and other days I get out of the way and people see Jesus.  I want more of the latter.  What is your image of Jesus in your life look like?  Mine needs a lot of work every day.  Don't give up!