MURFREESBORO — Every morning Ginny Harris gets out of bed and looks at the once-white towel that is nailed to the wall in her bedroom.

It has been almost a month since the 39-year-old mother and her husband spotted the image of Jesus Christ outlined in the red clay that came from the paws of their 3-year-old German shepherd.

''It's awesome,'' Harris said of the image on the towel. ''It's just a blessing.''

The image has special meaning for Harris, who after many hardships has regained a new sense of inspiration — one that she believes she can use to help others, especially those who may be hurting or without hope.

''There is a glow about her since this has happened,'' Harris' husband, Ray, said. ''Before, she seemed a little down. She's a good Christian, though. She sees more good out of life than the bad.''

According to experts, no one ever made a record of Jesus' face while he lived. There are no sketches, paintings or photographs showing what Jesus looked like.

While some may question the image's legitimacy, Volney P. Gay, professor of religion and professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, said such instances are ''worldwide phenomena.''

In 1988, a woman in Estill Springs, Tenn., made national news when press accounts reported that she had seen an image of Jesus on her freezer.

''It has always occurred,'' Gay said. ''It's not a delusion. It's part of religious life — not just Christianity but all religions.''

The cloth hangs just above a framed picture of Jesus Christ that Harris bought 18 years ago from a lady selling them door to door.

Harris grew up in a strong Christian home, but she struggled in life. More than a decade ago, she was a single mother who often had to visit the Second Harvest Food Bank. Later, she developed and eventually overcame thyroid cancer. And earlier this year, she lost a close pet and her job.

''I did a lot of praying, asking God what he wanted me to do,'' she said.

It was almost midnight on July 31 when Harris began to clean the mud off Dillon, her German shepherd. She was getting tired of all the work that went into keeping a large dog, so she decided to show her husband all the mud she had to clean.

''He saw it instantly,'' Harris said of the image, which she also saw after looking at it.

Whether others see the face of Jesus doesn't bother Harris. And it shouldn't, Gay said.

''What does the tree produce?'' Gay said, citing a verse from the Bible that states, ''You judge a tree by its fruits, not its roots.

''What is the outcome of her religious experience? How has her life changed? That is what's important. It sounds like it has changed for the better.''

Said Harris, ''God works in mysterious ways. We're not supposed to understand why sometimes.''

• Story originally published by:
The Tennessean / Nashville | Carly Harrington - Aug 26.01

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