The Reflection

When we moved into our house about a year ago, I realized one day that the entire bathroom had wall to wall mirrors. You can see every part of yourself, from every angle imaginable. Guess if you LOVED yourself this would be an OK but for me, as for most women and an occasional man, the reflection can be piercing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

For many reasons, it could be a general dislike for ones body, or the scars that stare back at you reminding you of what your trying to forget, the face that is melting under the pressure of gravity, the hair being taken over by the grey bomb, the skin losing elasticity and looking like a prune, or it could be a deeper issue of internal reflection. The person, the being, the soul, the heart, the mind all staring back at you - what is it doing, thinking, how has it acted, how has it loved, how will it be remembered and is that person significant?

Finding significance in the reflection is a journey we are all on. The same mirrors surround me today but a new reflection is beginning to stare back at me. A reflection that is not consumed with what others say I should see, with what my unrealistic expectations may be proposing or what my mind has decided to fixate on at that moment. These negative images can have a devastating effect on ALL relationships. If I see myself as a ......., ........, ......... (you fill in the blanks), then this is what my husband, kids and friends will see in me because we begin to portray what we believe about ourselves.

I glance back again and there it is, that negative slope down the cliff of despair, the brain goes into overdrive thinking oh Gosh girl your face looks so tired...I seriously do not have enough energy for another day, my legs need a tan, my feet are throbbing and I just started, how did I get like this... the dogs are whining, the kids peed in bed, the house is dirty, my back hurts and on and on it may go until I STOP! If I were to continue with this thinking as I begin my day and grudgingly start breakfast and carry that reflection with me into my day, I become a Burden instead of a JOY to all that encounter me. 

I do have a choice, I can do the ol' fake it till you make it trick, which stops me from shaming myself temporarily OR I can practice what I preach to my children. 

We can NOT do and be only what we FEEL. Feelings lie, feeling deceive, feelings change, feelings do help give direction but should NOT be left unattended in the drivers seat. Truth is the stability that should drive our decisions, our course of action from moment to moment. Only Truth can teach us contentment and bring true Peace, peace that no reflection can change even when the walls around you are squeezing so tight your head may explode. Divine Peace that passes all understanding. Building a foundation of truth in my children has to start with ME. 

Philippians 4:7-8

Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the greatest of them all? Honestly, no one is the greatest so quit striving and start living, stop judging and start being, stop hating and start loving, stop comparing and start connecting, stop searching and be still, stop hiding and be known!