Looks Can Be Deceiving

     We have all heard that old saying, "Looks can be deceiving." Well, I got some good proof of it this morning as I was shaving. I looked in the mirror and noticed that some of the hairs in my mustache were as white as my shaving cream. I laughed about this because I feel more alive, vibrant, and joyous now than I did when I was twenty. I got a little more proof later on as I walked through my tiny home and sat in my old, worn chair. Two cats quickly jumped on my lap while a smile leaped to my face. It seemed funny that in this society where fame and fortune are looked on as everything that I had found so much joy in such a simple life with so little money.  It was a short time later, however, that I got the greatest proof of all. The sun broke through the clouds, shone through my window, and gently warmed my face. Bathed in that golden light I felt not only the heat of the sun but also the loving touch of God on my face, in my heart, and through my soul. I knew then that life’s greatest joys can’t be seen with the eyes at all.

     Looks truly can be deceiving. Joy, love, energy, and vitality don’t end when your body gets old, but can continue until your last breath and beyond. Fame, fortune, and material things may look nice on the surface, but they don’t bring your heart and soul any lasting peace or happiness.  This natural world we live in is both blessed and beautiful, but beyond it there is another world that is even more blessed and more beautiful.

     We are only here for a short time. Let’s not be deceived by appearances then. Look at things with your eyes, but feel them with your heart and see them with your soul. Take care of your body, but know that you are much more. Work in this world, but always live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Do all the good you can, share all the love you can, and choose all the joy you can in this life. But know that an even greater life full of God’s love and light awaits you.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella (joecool@wirefire.com) -- {used with permission} ]