Wednesday Wonder

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly…” (1 Cor. 13:12a)

This Wednesday Wonder was inspired by my visit with the Joy Unit of the UCW last week. Amid much laughter and story telling, it came up that as we age, perhaps we don’t like mirrors quite so much.

The statement was made that someone had no mirrors in her house. As the laughter began someone responded that she had mirrors but could no longer see what was in them. The laughter increased.

It got me thinking, well, about mirrors and the images we see in them. I, personally, don’t like mirrors. I never look the way I want, or hope, to look. The problem with that? What I see in the mirror is the way things are, apparently. So is how I look when I turn to look at the choir on a Sunday and see my ‘best side’ larger than life on the screen. But that is a whole other column.

Is what we see in a mirror what is actually there? This is a question I have had for a long time. As we hear more about body image and how some people’s image of self becomes distorted, it makes me wonder about what I see in the mirror.

There was the day I looked in the mirror and wondered who the old lady looking back at me might be. But then, I realized I just needed more sleep. That old lady doesn’t hang out at my house anymore. She gets to bed on time and looks much younger these days.

The rest of the image has never been so easy to blink away. As someone who has had weight issues all her life, seeing what is actually in the mirror isn’t necessarily the case. There are many of us like that. And it isn’t just about weight issues. Many of us may not have a clear image of ourselves.

It may be a bit like the quote from 1 Corinthians. We see dimly. We see what we expect to see. We see what other people tell us to expect based on their own views and issues. We see very dimly sometimes what is right in front of us.

As you know, I spend much time reading from the ‘self-help’ genre although I noticed the other day that in the bookstore they now call it the ‘well-being’ section. I like that. One of the things that is suggested by those who sing the praises of using daily affirmations to make your life better, is that you should put those affirmations on your mirror. Ostensibly, so you see them first thing every morning. Personally, I think with enough affirmation filled post-it notes, that might just solve the mirror problem. It will be covered!

Putting the affirmations on your mirror isn’t a bad idea though. If you read something positive first, perhaps you will see your own image differently. You might even see the beautiful, wonderful person others see. The one you may find hard to believe, and therefore see on your own.

While our vision of the image in the mirror may be dim, may be influenced by self-doubt, society’s warped views, or something else, there is someone who views it quite clearly.

God sees us as we are in the mirror. God sees God’s self when we look in the mirror. We are, after all, made in God’s image. We are viewing part of God when we gaze at ourselves. That point of view might just change how we see the image.

How can I be critical of that image in the mirror? That image is God staring back at me. The gray hair, the wrinkles, the extra pounds, they all make up part of what God looks like. And let’s face it, both God and I, have earned every one of those hairs and wrinkles.

So, let’s see more clearly from now on. We are made in God’s image. The dim image we might be seeing now, is not the true one. For the true one shows us strong and awesome. It shows us that God has a sense of humour and that we are the beloved one who makes God smile. God appreciates us as we are. Maybe we should too.