When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I find looking back at me a full head of gray hair, of which Ken is very envious because his locks have diminished throughout the years. A myriad of wrinkles, from head to toe, greets me. Ken is not envious of those. A scar here and another there indicates the location of a previous injury or surgery. Ken has his own share of those. All my body parts have succumbed to the force of gravity, and we share that trait, so no envy is involved and, of course, we are instructed not to feel envy toward others. But being human, it happens occasionally, despite our best intentions.
If you look beyond the physical, deep down to the core, what emotions do you find? Do doubts and fears linger there? Do you harbor a grudge against someone you say you love or once considered a good friend? Is anger or a perceived hurt worming its way so deeply into your heart that it clouds all your other emotions? Does depression hang over you like a heavy gray cloud that never lifts to allow the sun to shine through? That’s a pretty dismal picture!
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
What do you suppose God sees when he looks into your face? What does he feel when we allow negativity to dictate our life’s path? He created us in his image and if we exhibit the traits of fear, anger, or envy, and are disrespectful of the body and mind that he created, we are certainly being disrespectful of the gifts he has showered on us. Maybe we just need an attitude adjustment.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you ignore life’s less pleasant situations. It means that you approach unpleasantness more positively and productively. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.”
If you’re a parent or grandparent, you know that you earned every one of those gray hairs on your hea d or your lack of hair…would you trade them for a shining new deep brown mane that always does just what you want it to do? Time may have etched craters into your face, but along the way, wisdom has crept into your mind and heart. You still have time to work on those sagging body parts. A little exercise goes a long way toward toning up those long-abandoned muscles. And all those scars we observe in the mirror weave the tapestry of our lives, they remind us of the adventures we’ve had, the adversities we’ve endured, and all the instances when God “saved our bacon,” as the saying goes.
When God looks at us he sees his miraculous and perfect creation. He made us the way he wanted us to be. Every gray hair, every wrinkle, every scar is a testament to a life fully lived. What better gift could we receive than knowing God loves us just the way we are.
He placed his hand on the shoulder of humanity and said, “You’re something special.”
Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment Volume I
