Reflection: A Study of Life

The infamous mirror. We do battle with it every single day, don’t we? How many of us pick ourselves apart, critiquing, judging and hating every feature? How many of us, upon seeing our reflection, are disgusted and disappointed with what we see?

There is a use for everything, mirrors included. They serve a purpose. Let’s face it- if it weren’t for mirrors, there’d be more instances of lipstick on- and spinach in- teeth. We’d look much messier than we do when we present ourselves to the world.

But mirrors are not the end all, be all to our eternal worth and value. They are far from it.

“But the LORD said…‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature… for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.’”

1 Samuel 16:7

I once saw a photo of the legend, Lauren Bacall, getting dressed.

You see her next to some of her clothes on a hanger, as she adjusts her belt. And, accompanying that photo is her quote:

“Looking at yourself in a mirror isn’t exactly a study of life.”

Lauren Bacall

I was struck by that. I mean, here is this world famous beauty, movie star and glamour icon who should be paralyzed by any imperfect image reflected back at her.

Yet there she is, looking calm and unaffected. It is like she is at peace knowing her appearance is just a fraction of who she is.

Oh, if we could all learn and embody that lesson.

When I was a teenager, I drew various still life studies in my art class. I drew plants, bottles and even a collection of old toys.

And it is that last still life study which, years later, reminds me of how, yes indeed, there is more than meets the eye. For, as I drew that inanimate object, that’s all it appeared to be: inanimate. But the truth was so much more. The truth involved hours of imaginative play. The truth involved happiness, comfort and friendship. What appeared to just be a stuffed animal or doll could not explain how alive, how real and how valuable the subject actually was.

The still life just depicted a grouping of inanimate objects. That’s all.

And how similar things are when we look upon ourselves in any mirror. We see shapes and configurations of shapes. We see colors, lines and textures. But we do not have our entire history and value assessed in that reflection. We cannot see memories, traumas, scars, life lessons. We cannot see God’s ultimate purpose and estimation of us. One can argue we cannot even see His love for us.

But it is there. Oh, it is there.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

It’s something to keep in mind each day as we prepare ourselves to face the world. As we choose dresses, skirts, ties and suits, apply makeup, fix our hair and make sure we don’t have anything in or on our teeth, let’s not neglect how valuable our unseen qualities are.

It’s the invisible which is most glorious. And it is what casts the largest refection.

It is so much more than a still life. It is a masterpiece.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

Copyright © 2018 by Sheryle Cruse