The Scoundrel on the Other Side of the Glass

I don't like mirrors. I don't know if I ever will either. I've always seen mirrors as a reminder of the things I don't like about myself. How my ears stick out too far, or my mouth is crooked. I've seen too much belly and not enough hair. But each day I look into one of those dastardly contraptions and try to fix the imperfections and problem spots to face the day hoping that the reflective glass is only a liar, a tool of the devil meant to start my day in his way, filled with doubt and bewilderment at the beauty around me that I feel so unable to achieve no matter how much I try. It's just a quirk of mine that I've found many others share. As I was adjusting my necktie the other day, I looked down the way and saw something so unfair. A stunning reflection of a woman whose partner on the other side of the glass shining bfore her bled glory in that same glass I shared just a few feet away. It was as if I was doubly blessed to see my wife as she readied herself for the same day coming toward us both. It was then I realized that the mirror couldn't possibly be a liar because it was telling the truth. I especially don't like the mirrors in the carnival funhouses that distort our face and figure because I think the regular everyday reflective devices are cruel enough. They don't make me laugh. Now don't get me wrong, there are some mirrors I appreciate; rear-view mirrors and side-view mirrors on my truck. I've used mirrors to reflect light when I didn't have a flashlight handy. I've even been grateful to see that I have something on my face or shirt that needs to be removed or wiped away. But just to look at myself has never been a hobby of mine. The problem is that when I peer at the image staring back at me I have the bad habit of comparing myself to the images of others physical attributes that I admire or perhaps envy. I watch television and see the handsome fellows that make women swoon, or the rippling muscles that cause others to take a second look. I just see me. I must not be alone because when you turn on the television or listen to the radio you see and hear messages of how to rid yourself of wrinkles, lose those "love handles," or look years younger with washboard abs. We're obsessed with the external, and some even spend small fortunes to dive into the fountain of youth, beauty and blessing. The other mirror is the one that shines from within our soul, this reflection is oftentimes overshadowed and perhaps squashed by the desire for the outward images that receive such attention. The Holy Spirit is the One who calls us from our guilt and shame and will wash over us with the fountain of blessing that flows from the grace of God. It is the reflection that we often ignore while brushing our hair and tying buttoning our fashionable shirts. That is the reflection that pulls us from guilt into conviction and a desire for an inner beauty that will intensify even when years and gravity take a toll on the way we feel in our own skin. Some of the most beautiful people I know would never grace the cover of Vogue Magazine or an issue of Men's Health, but they are stunning in the image that flows from within them as they stare intently and intensively into the mirror of their soul. So nowadays when I look at the ogre in the mirror and thank God I never looked like Justin Bieber, I look to the mirror of my soul shining brightly from my Father in Heaven and pray that is the image that people around me remember and seek to emulate. Regardless of what we look like on the outside, we all share one thing in common. Remind yourself when you look in the mirror, no matter how you fell about what you see, we all share one common attribute. Our true appearance of majesty and stunning beauty is because we are covered with the fingerprints of the One who creates only masterpieces, His name is God, and in made in His image we are beautiful.