God wants to see His Son reflected in us

I suppose you can take the man out of the navy but not the navy out of the man. There are still many things I do out of habit like waking early to workout, keeping my hair short, checking my "gig line" (the vertical line that runs through the shirt buttons, the belt buckle, and the trousers "fly") and shining my shoes. Every Sunday evening I line up my shoes and polish them.

Over the years I have tried many methods to shine my shoes to a high luster. I purchased special polish, melted the wax in the can, and buffed my shoes with a nylon. I managed to get a good shine but not a great shine.

I serve with two Marines, a Sergeant Major and a Master Gunnery Sergeant, who wore boots so shiny they appeared translucent. You could see yourself in the boots, not just the tip, but the whole boot.

The Master Gunnery Sergeant took pity on me and showed me his secret. One day in his office he asked for one of my boots and proceeded to shine it. He pulled a soft bit of t-shirt and a can of polish out of his desk drawer. He soaked the rag in water, squeezed it until just damp, put the rag on his index finger, and dipped it into the polish, picking up just a little spot. Then he rubbed the polish into the boot. He rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. Ashort time later I could see my reflection in my boot.

Rev. Rory M. Hermann Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

It occurred to me recently that God shines us in the same way. He rubs and rubs (disappointments, challenges, grief, etc.) until He sees the reflection of His Son in us. No more than the boot can shine itself can we shine ourselves. God must do the work!