When I look at my precious orphans in Romania, sometimes I wonder ‘who did she get those beautiful eyes from – her mother or her father?’  Or I look at a little one with his ears sticking out and wonder was it his mother or father who had ears like that?  Whose DNA did this one pick up to get his curly hair?  Whose DNA did she end up with to have such beautiful teeth, or another one with such horrible teeth?  I often wonder what their birth parents look like – and would I recognize them if I met them in a village somewhere.

We are never entirely with our very own distinct look.  My bottom teeth are crooked just like my father’s – and my grandfather’s.  To how many generations did those crooked teeth go back?  My build is like my paternal grandmother’s – my older brother’s build, like our maternal grandfather.  I once was in the same home attending a dinner with a woman who walked over to me and said, “You must be a ‘Bean’”.  She said, “I don’t know what your first name is, but you have ‘the Bean’s eyes’”.  How’s that for identification – proof of DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the fundamental and distinctive characteristics or qualities of one is the carrier of genetic information.  As I was looking up particulars on the subject, I realized that we come into this world not only with physical DNA traits, but we also carry traits of learned behavior, emotions, actions and reactions from those who gave us our distinctive looks and body types.  One might love reading if they came from a home where either or both parents were readers – or involved in music because that’s what the family did.  Or, more simply, we might walk like one of our parents, or tilt our head like our mother or father.

So there is perhaps spiritual DNA, also.  I know I learned much from my parents who exemplified the Christian life.  I believe I love serving from watching my parents serve in many capacities in the church – serve others around them.  The Scripture says, ‘if you have two coats, to give one of them’.  I grew up with a mother who if had only had one coat and you needed it, she would have given it to you.  Daddy used to say that Mum could not wait for them to get their pay checks on Friday so that she could give it all away!  My Dad loved doing for everyone – and so quietly.  No one would ever know of his act of service beside him and the recipient.  What a wonderful heritage I have!

Then, there is the spiritual DNA I believe we receive once we have come into fellowship with Christ.  “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ Who lives in me.”  – Galatians 2:20    Romans 8.10 talks about ‘Christ in us’.   “My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you.” – Galatians 4.19

“And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” – Romans 12.2     There are many verses indicating a spiritual DNA – but just one more from Galatians 5:22,23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control . . .”   Hmm-mm-m-m, it seems to me that if we are indwelt by the tri-une God that we should look like Him – that our characteristics should be like His – that we should  walk like Him, talk and speak, think, act, re-act, love, and serve like Him.  I am so glad that I don’t have my own distinctive look – that its either from my biological DNA, and more importantly, my spiritual DNA.  I truly want to walk and talk and act and serve like my Heavenly Father.  I’m not! – but how I would desire to be ‘Jesus-in-skin’ on this earth.  And I’m thinking how much He would love that for us, too.