“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment… Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

“Geet dat ting an bring it ova hea’!” the lady screamed in a Cajun like, foreign accent! At least I THOUGHT she was screaming. When we entered the store her loud voice was a shock. After we received our food and sat down, her boisterous voice ordered the staff around, shaking both the walls and our own sense of calm.

The woman referred to was clearly the manager. Her management and manners were loud, obnoxious and unwelcome. She got so loud it became uncomfortable to sit and enjoy our meal. As we left, an employee was sitting outside on break. I said,” I don’t know how you put up with THAT!” He nodded… slowly in the affirmative.

It was hard to determine if each sentence was said in anger, or if that was just her style. In either case, it was uncomfortable to everyone in the place… customers and employees included. I’m not sure if I could ever get used to hearing her tone. Katie mentioned, “I couldn’t work in a place like that!” I simply said, “I wouldn’t!”

Being honest, I haven’t had a quiet spirit lately. ‘Outside’ things have been seen and absorbed, leaving my ‘inside’ a rather irritable mess. This, I am sure, has made MY outside impression upon others… questionable. After all, who wants to hang around and listen to a grumpy, obnoxious, unhappy ‘Jesus guy?’ I sensed a need.

The experience in the restaurant wasn’t the fix for my heart. But it was a wake-up call. ‘The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit’ does not come naturally. But it IS a goal and work of art that’s actually EXPECTED from ‘The Master.’ Working on my inner spirit to make it ‘peaceful and quiet’ can be MY gift to God!

All Believers in Jesus Christ are witnesses called to go spread the Gospel, and God’s love from our insides, to the outside. People like to listen to ‘gentle and peaceful’ better than the obnoxious and raging! With Thanksgiving approaching, I believe I’ve just been given a hint from God on what HE wants for the Holy-Day.

How is YOUR inner spirit? How do YOU come off, as Christ’s representative, in a loud and raging world? Are you living with a Thanks-giving, peace-filled, gentle heart and spirit? Thank God we have a gentle Savior who majors in heart transplants.