Blood Type: Y
I sit in the chair, hunched over Colossians, with knitted brow. I am doing memory work and am 46 words away from committing the first chapter to memory. But I can’t get past these mind-blowing words:
“… Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Colossians 1:27
I cup my hand to my mouth. I am indwelt with the Son of God! Had I forgotten? Christ resides in the DNA, in the plasma. I’m a carrier of the cure to every sorrow this world has known. I transport Gospel in the blood, the sinews, the very deepest part of me. The heart of a believer beats like this: Jesus … Jesus … Jesus.
My youngest daughter is standing beside me now, beaming with her own discovery of what’s been dwelling within her this whole time. She thrusts out a foot to show me.
“Look!” she says, and points to the veins in her foot, pulsing with life. She wants me to see what she’s found: two of her veins are Y-shaped. We are always on the lookout for Ys — Y for Yahweh. God has marked our world with Himself. We see his first initial in tree branches, clouds, sidewalk cracks. At every Y-fork in the road, we have an opportunity to see Yahweh.
And now, my youngest daughter sees Him in herself — right here in her God-fashioned veins. Some people might think we’ve gone crazy here on the Lee farm, but we love to find Ys in all things, even in us. They might call this a coincidence; we call it a “God-incidence.”
I show my daughter my right hand, where not long ago, I discovered two Y-shaped veins under the skin. Jesus said: “… You are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:19)
In him, we leave and breathe and move.
All of us who proclaim Christ — whether our blood types are O or A or B — we are all blood brothers with the universal donor. His blood purchased us. We are bought by Blood Type Y.
“For the life of the creature is in the blood … it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” — Leviticus 17:11
Here are a few recent Y finds.
A photo-gift from Sandra Heska King.
Discovered by an Iowa girl on her volleyball. Thank you, Lexi, for helping me see Yahweh all around!
A stick from the driveway of a friend. She brought it to church last week. Thank you, Jenn and Kortni!
A forest of Ys, stamped by Cheryl Smith at the Laity Lodge art studio.
Do you have some Y photos? Do you want to go on a Y Hunt? Feel free to upload your Y photos to the Getting Down With Jesus Facebook page by clicking here.
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- There's Just Something About Those Ys | Getting Down With Jesus - [...] We are in the habit of seeing these Ys decorating our world — Ys in tree branches and sidewalk…
What a good reminder. I love the way you search for "Y's". To find them you really have to see and that is so beautiful. Love that your daughter saw Him in herself…lovely! ~Jessica
Beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing this. Jesus is inside us. How amazing!
I'm thinking of Louie Giglio's laminin. Well, of course it's not his, but maybe you know what mean.
Have you seen it? Methinks you would like…
When I read your post, I immediately looked at my wrist and saw my "Y" vein! Thank you for the beautiful reminder that Christ resides in us!
Blessings, Joan
Lyla — Yes, I have seen (or read) Giglio's laminin story. I think of it every time I read the verse in Colossians, " … in him all things hold together."
you know, it's funny that you mention finding the y's and uploading them – i see them every now and then and think of you every time! now I will be looking so i can send them your way!
I just looked down at my wrists and say my Y veins too! What a wonderful reminder that God is always there. I will never look at my Y veins without thinking of this encouraging post! Thank you so much!
Hi Taylor! Thanks for dropping by again. I wanted to visit with you about photography (the question you had a few days ag). I had some thoughts … Send me an email at jdukeslee (at) gmail (dot) com.
Wow, sweet friend. I just sent this link to my whole LBS (ladies Bible study) list. We are studying Colossians (alternating every two weeks with my teaching on Hosea), and have focused on that verse.
I love this: Jesus–lub dub–Jesus–lub dub–Jesus.
You bless me so!
My wrists are marked with strangely obvious Y's, right in the same place I believe they nailed the only true Y to the cross. We are marked; He lives in us.
I see shadows of Ys covering my back yard. My reed diffuser is looking very Y-like all of the sudden. Folding chair just to my left – yes, an upside down Y.
I can't stop!
I thought of laminin while reading your post too Jennifer–our role as Image-bearers is rich indeed! Loved this!!
@jennifer Actually, would you mind just sharing in the comments in your blog? Thanks!
this is great. we are studying dna and genes and chromosones in science right now and yesterday I was struck by how the male is a male because one and only one of his X chromosones is shortened to a Y. I think I had read this before somewhere, can't remember where, but that it was the part (side) of that chromosone that God removed to make the woman. Absolutely nothing to do with your post, but it did help me to see YAHWEH at work in the most intricate aspects of our creation. Science always inspires a heart of worship in me!