Mirror Mirror on the wall. What will I see today? Ever have to muster up the courage to face yourself in the mirror in the morning?
We are our harshest critics. You know that don't you? We have been lured and cajoled into believing that perfection is manufactured, store bought, jars and bottles full of goo and glop. We have been led to believe that in order to be beautiful, we have to have perfect eyebrows, sparkling white teeth, eyelashes as long as our arms, pristine eye makeup and absolutely no wrinkles. Are you with me so far?
A natural tan, though be it, not healthy for our skin and our longevity, make us look sun kissed and fresh. The store bought versions are even less healthy for our us, but we jump in those high priced sun coffins and toast ourselves to a nice shade of golden brown. Heaven help us if we mess up the ritual and end up with tan lines! Just not acceptable.
We have drawers full of popular shades of eye shadows, liners, mascara, false eyelashes, brow liners, lipsticks, foundation, coverup, purple eye concealer, blush, bronzers, brushes in every size and shape imaginable. There are toothbrushes, flosses, more brands of toothpaste than any of us can count. Don't forget the Water Pics, Sonic Brushes, multiple brands of whitener, sensitivity toothpastes, mouthwashes, paint on tooth whitening stain, caps, crowns, bridges, dentures, implants and every other kind of dental device known to man.
Of course, added into this mix, we have hair dye, hair bleach, shampoos that add volume, conditioners, natural herbal products that smell wonderful, dandruff controlling 2 in 1's, and of course, as a parent, we've all had to deal with it at least once - lice treatments. Don't even like to think about that stuff. Now, let's add blow dryers, hot air brushes and combs, crimping irons, flattening irons, curling irons, electric curlers. Literally, the list is endless. Have you figured out where I'm going with all of this?
I will clue you in. We don't look in a mirror and see ourselves as perfection. We look in the mirror and see our physical faults and deficiencies. We see the wrinkles, thinning hair, dark circles, straight hair when we want curls and waves, and curls and waves when we want straight. Then of course, there is the dreaded FRIZZ! Enough you say! Okay, point is, we're all guilty. We are guilty of doubting perfection and adding that extra little touch of mascara or the hair extensions, or the wig, etc.
There is no other person on the face of this earth that is like YOU! When you were born, you came into this world with a pre-determined set of physical characteristics that were blended and molded to make you just exactly who you are. Who did all of that? Well your biological makeup comes from the combination of your parentage. Do I really have to go into that? Hope not. But it all started with what God wanted you to look like before you were even a twinkle. He knew the number of hairs on your head, the color of your eyes, the straightness or crookedness of your future teeth. He knew how tall you were going to be, how fat or thin you would be without effort to make it otherwise, the size of your feet, your other endowments, and more specifically, He knows down to the minute, second and breath of when you will take your last and what the circumstances will be around it.
Our lack of sleep and allergies give us dark circles and the "purple" allergy eye. Some of us have huge noses. Others have little buttons in the middle of their faces. It doesn't really matter. What's there is what God had planned for us all along. The imperfections that we are so quick to point out about ourselves and others are part of our unthinking and often insensitive human nature. We are not perfect in that sense and never will be. There is only One that is perfect in every way, and depending upon how you believe, you may call Him something different.
So, here I stand, in front of my mirror with the 10X magnification on the opposite side (for those close make up days). I see a swollen face, dark circles, the onset of wrinkles around my eyes, those icky dark brown age spots and I think to myself - yuck! I look awful. That is just my opinion, but I know of many others that would agree. But that's not the point. When God looks down on me, He looks beyond the outer shell that is aging (gee, isn't aging a process that is supposed to happen?). He looks at my heart, my soul, my faith, my love and the beauty that lies within. He knows I've made tons of mistakes and I've sinned. I am not perfect. I've asked for forgiveness abundantly and often. I try to learn from my mistakes and ask for His help along the way. But in spite of all of that, He looks at me with outstretched arms drawing me in for a hug. I AM HIS CHILD and He loves me unconditionally. He holds my hand when I'm afraid, brings me peace when I need it, gives me the freedom to make my own decisions, but the understanding and grace to help me out when I've made the wrong ones.
Standing in front of my mirror, yes, I see my physical imperfections, but as I look beyond them, I begin to see things in a whole different way. I begin to see the beauty that I often overlook because when it comes right down to it, God made me the way I am, and who am I to doubt His reasons.
Go look in your mirror and see beyond the goo and glop. Look for and accept the natural beauty that you have because of the One that made you the way you are.
Now, it's time for you to go be beautiful beyond the extra stuff that you put there this morning. Look deeper into that mirror and into your heart. You'll find it. It's in there.
I am beautiful, shining and walking in His glory! Have a wonderful day!
Kaye
