"The Look"

Have you seen "the look" lately? Oh we all have one. We can recognize it immediately on other's faces (especially our children) but seldom feel it on ours.

It is the look we get when our kids are not happy with a decision, when God is telling us to do something we don't want to do, when a friend shares something that convicts us "in love", our better half questions our judgement etc, etc, etc. I could go on but I do not have all day to describe the many things that cause "the look" to come over my face or my kid's.

Can you feel it when it's there? I can, I feel a tightening and like the hair is raising on the back of my neck. I have never actually looked in the mirror and seen what it looks like but I imagine I go very blank. That is my son's "look" and we are very similar in the way we deal with things. When challenged or told something we do not like (true or not) we shut down emotionally.

My daughter's is unmistakable (to me)...and holds just enough rebellion for me to know her real thoughts although she is careful not to voice them. I saw it this morning as we discussed a Christian Rock group that her dad & I have asked her not to purchase songs from or listen to and there it was "the look". I am glad she is transparent because it gave me an opportunity to talk with her about where she draws the line in the sand and this isn't worth rebelling about yada yada yada. I have noticed however, as we venture more into the teen world "the look" is popping up more often. All to say it was a good conversation and helps me gear up for more likewise chats. AND it caused me to examine what brings "the look" onto my face. Where are my lines drawn in the sand? Hmmm.

If I truly believed the verse I have claimed recently [Psalm 16:6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.] "the look" would never grace my countenance. Hmmm.