When I’m tuned in — spending time in Scripture, lifting my heart to hear God’s whispers — I see more of the touch of God in this crazy world. The wonderful thing about our God is that He shows up even when we’re NOT paying attention.

He just does that. Because He loves us.

In my usual state of distraction, I often miss it. And when I do catch it, I don’t always proclaim those beautiful “God-spots” to the world.

I don’t want to miss it. I don’t want to waste the chance to say “Did you see that? Did you notice? That was God!”

I joined a 31-day writing challenge with the original intention to write a post here every day for 31 days during the month of October. The prompt I’ve chosen is “Inspiration & Faith”. The really neat side effect for me — as I pray it will be for you — is that the focus God’s laid on my heart for this challenge will cause me to be even more tuned in to His presence in the “every day” while I look for and report on the ways He shows up. As I spend 31 days of Reflection, not only will I be looking for and reporting on “God-spots”, I’ll be praying to be a reflection of the love of Jesus to others who might pause here for a moment. When you do, I hope you’ll share a “God-spot” here so that we can reflect together on where we see God reflected in our world.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a logophile — a person who loves words. I always have. From the days I sat in Latin class (yes, we had Latin as a foreign language) learning the Latin and Greek roots to words we use every day, I’ve been fascinated with word structure and meaning.

The word “reflect” comes from the Latin word “flectere” which means to bend. Add the prefix “re” and you get to bend back. Webster’s online dictionary gives two primary meanings:

1. to show the image of something

2. to realize or consider, to think calmly and quietly

As I dug further, I found more meanings for this little transitive verb — to have a bearing or influence.

There’s more! In medical terminology, reflect also means to bend or fold back, to push or lay aside (as tissue or an organ) during surgery in order to gain access to the part to be operated on.

And finally, in scientific terms, reflect means to throw back light or sound, to return rays, beams or waves.

I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about all the ways we can reflect!

Are you up for a little “bending back”? Will you take time to “realize and consider”? To “throw back light and sound”? To “have a bearing or influence” on people in your lives?

We’re going to push away and lay aside everything that gets in the way of the Surgeon’s hand and let Him “gain access on the part to be operated on” as we reflect on His glory and majesty reflected in our little world. One day at a time. For 31 days…..and beyond!