Your Face Will Surely Show It

If you have not noticed yet, we are in the year of a presidential election. And fear not, I am not going to speak about the specific races, candidates, or process.

However, a quick overview of context.

Where my wife and I live, the Registrar’s Office is small, only consisting of two full-time employees (one of whom I may know pretty well).

Their building is small and their time is limited. Considering these limitations, they made the decision to house the in-person absentee voting in the building next door. But to do that, they needed people to help work the satellite voting location.

So I have worked several shifts since absentee voting started almost two weeks ago.

And last Friday, I had a truly memorable experience. A mom and daughter entered the polling location. The young daughter proudly saying she was coming to vote in her first presidential election.

She was understandably edgy and excited. A tightly wound wad of nerves and excitement. She wanted to make sure the whole process was smooth and that she did not miss a thing. 

She wanted to know where everything was. She wanted to make sure her ID was not misplaced. She wanted to do everything herself and take in the whole experience. She even had her mom take her picture after she had submitted her ballot in the voting machine.

All this is actually pretty normal to me now, having worked six out of the last seven elections in the last 3 calendar years.

The big difference in this young lady’s story is…

She is blind. 

She couldn’t see anything. Her mom guided her around the room. And I had the unique opportunity to help this mom and daughter with the Express Vote machine which is designed to help the visually and hearing impaired.

The young lady’s excitement as she realized the control pad on the Express Vote had braille could not be contained as she literally screamed out, “It is in braille!”

I could not help but think in the midst of everything going on in our country and in this world today that there still is excitement and joy.

I don’t know who she voted for, and frankly it doesn’t matter to the story. She was so excited and so proud to have had the chance to vote.

Another lady who was in line behind this mom and daughter had watched the whole thing unfold. This other lady said to me that watching it all made her tear up.

You see there is something beautiful and special about watching someone who has true joy.

It reminds me of the old children’s song, "If You’re Happy and You Know It". The next phrase is “then your face will surely show it.”

In Exodus chapter 34 verses 29-35, we are given the account of Moses’ radiant face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the second set of tablets with the Ten Commandments on them, his face was so bright because he had been speaking directly with God.

The people could not look at him because of how bright his face was. Moses had to wear a veil covering his face when he was around the people (but not because of COVID).

His face surely showed that he was in the presence of God and the people knew it. It makes me think, do people see Christ in me? Do they know that I spend time with God? Am I really basking in the power and presence of the Great I Am? Am I seeking His glory? Does my face show it?

The young lady in the satellite voting location was so excited and proud to have participated in the voting process. Are you and I excited and proud to bask in God’s glory?

People will know that young lady voted. They will see her picture. They will hear her story. They will see it on her face. 

Will people know we have been (and are) with God? Will they see it embodied in our daily lives?

Will they hear it in our voices? Will they see it on our faces?

Anyway, I was just thinking…