Saturday, January 9, 2010

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

I have just passed a BIG milestone in my life...I have reached 50 years of age...never imagined what 50 would be or look like...it's a time when mirrors are no longer our best friends, especially those magnifying ones that make things look so big!!! Remember when we were younger and got a zit on our face and thought it shouted to the whole world, "Look at ME!!" Now, I kind of feel like that looking at wrinkles. In fact, I went back to contacts because I thought the little cute glasses I had actually magnified those wrinkles under my eyes!

A lot of focus on the outside, huh? Makes me think of an episode of Berenstain Bears (can you tell I have some GRANDangels??) where Sister thinks her ears are big...Mama tells her that what's on the inside is important; just like Grandma used to tell me, "Pretty is as pretty does." Didn't make much sense to a 10 year old...wondering why she didn't just say it like Mama Bear...sorry, Grandma, not really comparing you to a bear...

A familiar scripture from I Corinthians 13 talks about mirrors... "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror..." Wonder what it would be like to have a mirror that could see inside...kinda like a X-ray but only for attitudes, intentions and motives....

Sometimes I don't even want to think about my actions much less my motives. It takes time and energy to think about why I did something. It's pretty easy to diagnose my ugly actions...usually jealousy, envy (can't believe you got that promotion when I deserved it!), revenge (you hurt my feelings, I hurt yours.), trying to be God (Um, you need some consequences to that sin, Girlie, and I am just the one to give it to you!) and on I could go... But do my good actions reflect the LORD? If I am generous, do I want someone else to notice? If I am kind, is it so I can get something good in return? If I read my Bible every day, is it so I can be sure folks in my Sunday School class know it?

And if we "see through a glass darkly," can I really even know my motives? I can't trust them all the time but I am beginning to trust them some of the time. This helps me:

And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them. Luke 6:31

Do exactly to others as I would want them to do to me...not what was done to me or mine...not as I think they "deserve"...not so I will look holy...pretty simple...don't have to worry much about steamy mirrors or ugly motives with that one...

Dear LORD,

Thank You again that Your ways are simple, Your Word is true. Forgive my wrong motives, intentions, thoughts and actions. May I reflect Your love by doing for others exactly what I would want them do to (or think about) me. And please help me to be honest about that.

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