Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

This is my granddaughter, Mira (in June 2002 when she was 7 months old). She's a grown up six years old now and hates it when we, her Mississippi family, drawl our pronounciation and cause her name (Mira) and the word "mirror" sound the same. Don't we southerners masacre the English language sometimes? GRIN!

Like most babies, Mira found her own image reflected in a mirror a great source of fun and fascination.



Looking in a mirror can be a delightful source of entertainment when you're an infant. As a teenager, it moves into another whole realm of importance and takes on a life of its own.

When my granddaughter, Hillary (at right), was in middle school I drove her to school. Most mornings found her in the passenger seat staring intently into the mirror the entire length of our drive, as she applied and adjusted her make-up. Looking as flawless as her perception of the peers who would greet her upon arrival at school was vital to her existence in those days.

I can remember wondering why she even bothered with make-up. I thought she was beautiful just like she was! One particular morning she fretted with her mascara for so long I teasingly asked if she was applying it one lash at a time!

Today, Hillary's a junior in high school, driving herself to school, and comfortable and confident enough in her sense of self that she doesn't obsess over make-up as much. However, she and her mirror still have a pretty close friendship. GRIN! Would she be a normal teenage girl if she didn't?

For many of us girly girls . . . and especially those of us who struggle with weight issues . . . there comes a time in life when the mirror is no longer our friend. We begin to view it with a certain degree of animosity. We develop the habit of taking only quick and cursory glances . . . and those, only infrequently. We dare to look. We don't like what we see. And so we turn away. . . usually in disgust. Would a longer, more honest look motivate us to find the courage to change? Perhaps. But sadly, for me, it never did. I usually let a longer look only serve to condemn. I would allow the reflection I saw in the mirror to cause me to say things to myself I would never have dreamed of saying (or even THINKING) about another human being. Looking at my overweight, out of shape self, my shame and self-loathing would escalate. Accompanying the shame, came misery, discontent and unhappiness. ARGH! How did I soothe the negative emotions? Where did I seek to find the comfort I so desperately needed? Yep! With food! What a vicious cycle!

These days, when I feel negative about myself, I am learning to hold up the mirror of God's word and remind myself of who I am in Christ and how HE feels about me. Truthfully, I seldom struggle with negative feelings about myself these days. That's a BIG change for me. And I honestly do NOT think that has come because of my weight loss. I believe with all my heart that this change has come because the first thing I do every morning is affirm Who I belong to and His love for me. Remember my "Good morning, Abba. This is Your beloved child, Beverly"? (see my 9/29/07 post "Experiencing Abba Day by Day") I still begin my quiet time like that every morning. It puts my focus squarely on Who God is and who I am IN Him and enables me to walk in the light of that truth.


At 62, I'm finding that my one time friend, oft times enemy - the mirror - has become a master of surprises. I look into it some mornings and am surprised to find a wrinkled old lady staring back. Where did SHE come from? That couldn't be me. I feel so young and alive. She looks shriveled and dried up. Holy cow! GRIN!

A few weeks ago, my favorite cartoon strip had the grandmother character confronting these same aging issues. She decided that since she couldn't do anything about her wrinkles she would look in the mirror and celebrate herself by saying, "Yes, this is ME!" She is pictured in the ensuing frames dancing around the room celebrating her flapppy arms and droppy buns and singing "This is Meee ... this is meee ..." In the last cel she dejectedly decides that inspite of her celebration, "It still sucks to be me." I got a big kick out of that strip and have had it on my fridge for several weeks. But you know what . . . I don't really agree with her. I don't feel like it sucks to me. I like being me and here's why -


I can look into the mirror of God's word and this is what I see. A Great and Awesome God! He is the KING of the Universe. He's my Father - my ABBA. And He loves me! He loves me with an everlasting love. He has plans for me. He will bring to completion the work He has begun in me. And, here's the best yet . . . He doesn't care if I have wrinkles, gray hair, saggy body parts, or anything else . . . when I am humbled before Him, He thinks I'm beautiful! "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:11


The author of the Lenten devotional I read yesterday told a story of a time his wife had served as a mirror for him. He had sinned against her and in her tears and the suffering of her face, he saw with great accuracy his selfishness. I began to think about the mirrors in my house that reflect back the image I am projecting. Two such "mirrors" are the five year old twin grandchildren that I am blessed to care for each weekday while their parents work. When my little granddaughter shakes her finger in her brother's face and says with my precise intonation, "If I have to tell you one more time..." What better mirror of my frequent impatience do I need? Sometimes these glimpses of our true self hurt, don't they?


I asked God to hold up the mirror of His Word yesterday and let me see the reflections that were not pleasing to Him. OUCH!! By the end of the day He had honored this request far more thoroughly than I think I really wanted Him to. It really hurts to see the reflection of your sinful self! But without this pain, how will we purge ourselves of the things that separate us from Him? How else will we ever come to the place of precious renewal? How else will we ever walk in truth?


TRUTH is this - I can lay the weakness of my sinful self before Him and allow Him to transform it to greatness. I can give Him my loss and let Him turn it to gain. I can bring Him my failures and let him transform them into victory.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away,

our inner nature is being renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall. Who's the fairest One of All?

Fairest Lord Jesus,

Ruler of all nature,

O Thou of God and man the Son,

Thee will I cherish,

Thee will I honor,

Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.