Mirror Mirror

I am not the fairest of them all. I don't need a mirror to tell me that or to tell me who is. I am not the smartest, most fashionable or wittiest. I am not sure I am the most "anything". I'm not pretty by the world's standards.  Sometimes I'm not very pretty inside either.  We all have "those days".....

A few months ago at dance tryouts, I said to Syd how I wished she could see herself the way I see her.  So many times I want her to see what I see.  And my thoughts drifted to the suggestion that we would all benefit from seeing ourselves through other's eyes. I don't know how other people view me and I bet there are a lot of opinions about me that I don't want or need to know.  In fact, I'm sure of it.  But, it is none of my business, as I've said before, what people think of me. However, there are times when seeing ourselves through another's eyes could be beneficial. Hmmmmm....Points to ponder....

What if we could see ourselves through another person's eyes; not their opinions or judgments, but ourselves, our good and bad, the things we do well, and the things that are not so great, the gifts we don't recognize and the flaws we are unaware of? What if I could say, "Mirror, Mirror....on the wall...?" Would I listen with an open heart and mind and grow in humility and confidence or would I bring poisoned apples to those who were better or break the mirror? Would I give equal credence to the positives and the negatives? I tend to shrink the positives until they are microscopic and I inflate the negatives to the size of a hot air balloon. Uggggg....I just kinda want people to like me. I'm weird like that.

I miss my mom so much that it hurts.  After 12 years of not having a single solitary soul on earth that loves me in a way only a "mother" can....I ache for her.  I miss the one person on this earth who loved me...."anyway."  Losing her has given me a tangible reason to reach to Him. What if the mirror I looked in was one of God's grace? What if instead of seeing myself through a mirror of human reality, I was able to look at myself as forgiven, saved, precious and valuable because I was created by God for a purpose? Better yet, what if when I was looking at others, I looked at them through that lens of God's grace instead of my opinions, judgments, irritations and yes, crankiness? Better yet....what if we ALL did that?

I've witnessed some toxic attitudes recently....and how negativity can spread like a wildfire.  Wish that "mirror" that I speak of was one that was on the wall in every home.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, help me to see a world of beauty God created, not the imperfections that sin emphasizes. Help others to do the same.   Lord, help us to see the truth and not be deceived by fun house mirror reflections. 

In Him,

Terri