MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

 DATED JUNE 2016

Mirror Mirror on the Wall ... (Tell ME what I want to hear) ...

Remember the story .. the Queen who had a mirror reassure her of her beauty and status in life ... Remember when the mirror learnt about SNOW WHITE ...Remember the Queen's jealousy rage .......

Do we do this? 

I have this mirror I bought for like 3-5 bucks .. and trust me the image I see is about 3-5 bucks worth.

I look at myself in it and totally dislike what I see ... and have to go to another mirror of greater value to see myself as I am.

I've been thinking on this in several different views ... I do have that ADHD or whatever brain .. zoom...zoom...zoom .. sorta like Skooter the Cat when he gets in one of him hyper moods..and he is zooming all over the house.. which usually results in something getting broke...but the trip is so much fun!

 anyhow ... back on course here ....

 So many times we are like the Queen ..going to the MIRROR/People and wanting to hear what we want to hear ... tell me how beautiful I am .. tell me how much better I am than others .. tell me what I want to hear . (even though we know that what we want people to say is only to cover up what we know is deep inside us)

 So if this MIRROR/Person doesn't give us what we want .. we go to another Mirror/Person .. and to another Mirror/Person... sorta like going into those rooms set up with all kinds of mirrors .. some make you look short .. some make you look tall .. some VERY SKINNY .. some overly plump ... and we try to find that one that satisfies "me" ... but somewhere in there is the REAL deal Mirror and you can see yourself as you really are .....

 Can I just throw this out here .. well I am writing this so I guess I can .. because this hits my heart/life as much as anyone else and I can only speak and write those things that God has already pointed out ..or pointing out in my own life.  I am not exempt from my own writings.  In fact my writings pour forth from a heart/mind/spirit/soul that is constantly being massaged by Gentle Hands at work to make me like He Is.

 There is nothing wrong with needing to be encouraged, to be strengthened, to be lifted up, to be loved, to be inspired, etc.  We all need this in our lives .. but we benefit more when we GIVE this, then when we sit and EXPECT this.  Make sense?

 And people are just people .. with the same wishes, desires, expectations, faults, shortcomings ..etc.  Sorta like those mirrors with all the twisted images.  Whatever mirror we look into is the same image we will walk away with.

 There is One Mirror that is stark naked .. and so many people fear it .. and will not attempt to look into it.  This Mirror lays it bare .. tells it like it is ... exposes .. reveals .. no twist .. no hidden agenda .. no "you bless me and I will bless you" .. is Perfection at it's HIGHEST .. no blemish is hidden .. no spot is hidden .. unclothed .. you see YOU ...

 BUT .. the difference in this Mirror .. is this Mirror provides a new Image for you to walk away with .. if you want to.  Oh, you still have the option to walk away from this Mirror and hold onto what was revealed to you .. OR .. you can exchange the Real Image of YOU - and take on the Image that this Mirror PROVIDED for you ... to give you back Your Original Image you were created as.

 This Mirror will take your shame, guilt, burdens, unworthiness, bitterness, hatred, envy, unforgiveness, .. well .. let's just sum it all up in the one word we all like to avoid .. SIN ... our fallen nature .. that separation that happened in the garden .. that unclothed us of His Glory and left us naked.  ( that word naked means more than what we see with our natural eye)

 This Mirror takes our SIN and in exchange gives us LIFE, JOY, PEACE, FORGIVENESS, LOVE, WORTH ........

 Unlike the other Mirrors/People we run to who only satisfy us with words that last only until we walk away ... This Mirror will give you WORDS that will last throughout Eternity.

 So sad that this Mirror is presented sometimes with a voice that shouts at your SIN and Condemns you ... and the very reason a lot of people avoid this Mirror ...

 I know it is hard sometimes to see yourself as you really are .. it is painful .. it is shameful .. it is what we are ...

 I, myself, have grown to love this Mirror.  When I first came back to this Mirror after walking away in my teens .. I was totally awestruck at the TRUTH of this Mirror.  Here finally, when presented in TRUTH, I found a Mirror that allowed me to see myself as I truly was .. BUT .. gave me a New Image to walk away with .. that helped and still helps me daily to view myself as this Mirror desires for me to see myself.

 This Mirror has brought such freedom to my heart/mind/soul/spirit and I no longer desire the other mirrors that told me what "I" wanted to hear .. but never did/do they hear the very cry of my heart/mind/soul/spirit.

 I have learnt to sit at this Mirror daily and allow this Mirror to cleanse whatever has marred the Image in my life ...

 I have learnt that the "person" I was before I allowed this Mirror to change the Image in Me .. is no longer who I am .. that was the person I was .. and now it is no longer I who live .. but this Mirror Image lives in me ...

 I have learnt to live in the Freedom this Mirror gives .. daily .. free from SIN ( the initial ) and the condemnation, shame and guilt this SIN had on my life ...

 I have learnt that whatever I may fail at in not allowing the TRUTH that I find in this Mirror to come forth each day .. is washed away when I sit at the Mirror and allow this Mirror to bring a fresh exchange in my heart/mind/soul/spirit.

 I desire no other mirror/person to tell me WHO I am or WHAT I am .. I know that when I look into this Mirror . I find I AM MORE than a Conqueror .. because this Mirror provides that for me ...

 To sum this up .. Emily Plater preached a couple Sundays ago at our church .. and the thought just came back to me. 

 I wish I could remember everything she said .. but this one thought stuck with me.  She shared concerning when we are dealing with little ones in Children's Church .. and if we can get the child to look us in the face .. eye ball to eye ball .. we have made entrance into their heart and mind .. they are come to that moment of TRUSTING us with their very soul .. and what a tender important moment that is.  Only then can we work on their heart as they submit to us by looking us in the eye ... and we must be ready with LOVE and FORGIVENESS when they open up and TRUST us with their very SOUL.

 You know how we try to avoid people .. what do we do .. we tend to avoid looking them in the eye .. we think .. "If I just don't look them in the eye .. they won't see me .. I don't have to make contact.. I am not obligated"

 Think now of when you are trying to get someone's attention .. you want to say something important to them .. you want to warn them of something .. you want to say "I love You" .. you want to smile at them and give them encouragement ... and they on the other side are avoiding your glance because .. they think you are disappointed with them .. they are afraid to look due to fear of rejection ... they don't look because the last time they looked it resulted in condemnation or punishment ...

 This is one reason why I totally dislike the "bible thumpers" who stand on the street corners yelling out condemnation and waving the BIBLE like a FLAG of vengeance.

 Here is God ... looking at us ..trying to catch our eye .. searching us out .. wanting to look in our eyes .. waiting for us to TRUST HIM .. waiting for us to LOOK HIM IN THE EYE ... and when we do .. He wants to look US in the eye .. look deep into our soul ... and say something like this which you find all through out His MIRROR/BIBLE ( you knew where I was headed didn't you)

 "I know you .. I know your ups and downs .. I know your failures .. I know your SIN .. I know your shortcomings .. I know how you attempt to do good .. I see it all .. I UNDERSTAND ... I totally GET IT as Pastor Ben says ... I see your hurt .. I see your pain .. I see your tears .. I see your fears .. I see everything about you ...and ... I TOTALLY LOVE YOU!  Totally, with no strings attached .. Totally with no expectations .. Totally from the depth of My Heart .. I TOTALLY LOVE YOU! .. Come .. sit at My feet .. look in to my Mirror/Bible .. see your fallen nature .. understand what holds you back .. look Me in the EYE .. TRUST ME as you look into My Mirror/Bible and see yourself as you really are .. and look into My Mirror/Bible at the Great Exchange that I have for you .. not Condemnation .. but an exchange .. Imagine yourself as you sit and read ... your very heart and soul is revealed ... you see, understand, acknowledge what we BOTH see and you unclothe yourself before me and I give you new clothes to wear .. and tomorrow when you sit before ME again .. and you see those clothes had been marred by the world .. you unclothe yourself again .. and allow Me to clothe you fresh .. each and every day ... stripping off the world and renewing yourself in My Mirror/Bible ..

 Go ahead .. Look ME in the EYE .. Look at ME .. FACE to FACE .. and SEE and FEEL and UNDERSTAND  MY LOVE FOR YOU .... FOR YOU .. TRUST ME ... You can truly TRUST ME.  I TOTALLY LOVE YOU..AND I MEAN "YOU" ... "