You never know who is watching you

Right before Christmas, a 16 year old girl came up to me at church and told me she had given a speech about me at school as her final. Frankly, I thought she was kidding me - and every time I would jokingly ask her to see a copy of it, she would tell me she forgot it at school. Last night she brought me her outline for her speech and her grading paper from her teacher.

Not often am I at a loss for words, but at this moment I was. Her outline included things Charlene has observed. It's not as if the two of us hang out together.

Things like:
"She is awesome.
She is a Christian.
She has a great personality.
She doesn't care what people think.
She makes jokes all the time.
She can always brighten someone's day."


Charlene got a great grade on her report. Out of a possible 60 points she got a 58.

Her teacher had this comment to add







..... and it was.


When I saw this final "conclusion" on her note cards I was truly humbled by what Charlene had written.






It didn't even matter to me that she spelled my name wrong.

Now, I'm not sharing this to toot my own horn, so to speak. Instead, it being shared in the form of a warning. As I have looked at this paper on my desk today I can't help but think of the tremendous responsibility we, as Christians, have. What if, instead of the wonderful things she had written, she had observed me being surly, whiny or fighting with church members - or pouting if I didn't get things MY way? (Because believe me, I have had some great ideas that were just shot down.) What if she had seen me trying to stir up trouble, grumbling, complaining or any other of a hundred behaviors that would have resulted in a much different conclusion?

I am being watched. I am being observed. How I act as a Christian, as a youth chaperone, as a teacher, as a married woman, as a mom, as a homeschooler -- all of these jobs I have are being watched. And so are you - in whatever "jobs" you have. Everyone is "Charlene" -- and whether we realize it or - and whether it is ever verbalized or not -- and whether it is something to be proud of or not --speeches are being written about our lives.

Now, more than ever, I feel the need to try to live my life in a way to not let God -- or Charlene -- be disappointed in me.