It’s always hilarious when you see a news account of people who look like their dogs. There is research¹done on this topic that reveals it is not that dogs and their owners (sorry, “caregivers” in LA, guardians in SF) resemble each other over time. It is more likely that the dog owner consciously or unconsciously chooses a pet with similar characteristics. We have a lab/ German shepherd mix named, “Nala.” She is a sweetheart of a dog, like my sweetheart, but when she snarls, she resembles the boy’s and me, on occasion.

I do think we take on the appearance of someone over time. Ourselves. Who we are on the inside begins to reflect more and more on the outside. I remember the story The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. Dorian is able to live a wild and crazy immoral life without physically affecting him. Booze, sex, destroying the lives of others- you name it, Dorian did it. Didn’t seem to age him a bit. Stayed the same young, good-looking guy. His secret?

He had a portrait of himself that would take in all his sin. It got uglier and more sinister looking. I won’t give away the ending in case you haven’t read it, but let’s just say Dorian found out the truth.

You begin to notice that about people. Those of us who have been around a while show who we are on the inside by what we look like on the outside. Our faces take on smile lines or frown lines. Anger, like a twisted plastic surgeon, etches pain felt and pain dished out. Botox is no antidote for bile.

So, what do you do? Changing the inside changes the outside. You have a choice in life. There is a God who forgives what’s on the inside so you can be transformed into the kind of person who will shine with his glory on the outside. You are more than just your physical body.

Look closely at your own face. Especially around your eyes and the corners of your mouth. What do you see?