Mirror

He groaned as he rolled onto his side and cringed. He hoped by squeezing his eyes shut even tighter he could escape from this moment a little longer. His mouth tasted coarse and his throat was dry. He didn’t want to leave his dreams or the comfort of his bed. He didn’t want to a play his role for one more day; another agonizing, disappointing, and most of all, pointless day.

He kept his eyes closed as he pushed away the covers from his body and slowly, almost painful to watch, slid his legs off the bed so his aching feet could touch the cold floor. As he sat on the edge of his bed, he let his mind put things into place, to remember the world he lives in. A view imprinted on his thoughts by mass media, politics, cheaters, haters, and liars. He thought about the world and how greed, corruption, back-stabbers, and killers have built this place as a hell on earth. 

He felt lost as he carefully stood, checking his balance. His eye lids tediously peeled apart to let the early morning glow touch his eyes. He looked at the time as if he gotten up much too soon, hoping this was only a bad dream. He knew better than that. He knew he had to make his way to the bathroom for a drink of crisp water and a cold splash to his face. 

As he waddled around the bed, his castle of rest, and began a dreadful shuffle to the bathroom, he continued to let the dark facts of life creep through his thoughts. Countries were at war over land, and religion, and old feuds never seemed to die off. Neighbors loathed each other due to grudges almost forgotten about, but never let go of. Young boys and girls are led to believe they have to have money and possessions to be somebody and at the end of the day, those pursuits only make them more hollow. He thought of the business men who lack any moral compass or the politicians who passed on lies as truth because truth is too hard for them to admit. 

He stepped into the bathroom, kept the light off as he wavered in front the counter. He grinded his teeth and clenched his fists while he pondered the reasons why so many men and women destroy themselves and everyone they know because of their pride and self-pity. He knew these thoughts were not his own, he knew all too well this feeling of waking up.

He flicked on the light, bright and piercing as it revealed his reflection in the mirror. And he smiled.

It wasn’t this broken, shell of a boy staring back at him. No, there was no scared stranger shivering amongst the dangers of this world. This was not a fool full of guilt and hate peering out from behind those eyes, but a man empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

His mind raced through all his previous thoughts and forgave all those had done him wrong, if he could even remember what those wrongs were. His heart ached for the boys and girls being led into a life full of shadows and games, but he knew they had hope; their strength would come from above. He looked at his own face, deep into his eyes and saw what was tucked away in his soul; a purpose, a light, and a reason.

He looked at his hands and wondered what work they would do for the Lord today. He looked down at his feet and pondered what miracles they would carry him to. These were not things that he expected or forced, but knew to be blessings at work for the Lord’s plans. He felt comfort and strength in the wisdom God passed to him each day, it was not money or possessions that gave him this feeling. He became excited with the joy truth would bring to him and the lives of everyone he knew. His smile grew. 

He turned on the faucet, let the cool water pour through his fingers before he cupped his hand and brought it to his lips. He drank and felt a river flow through his body, a friendly reminder that he is alive and well. He cupped his hand under the water again, squeezed his eyes shut and slashed it on his face. He breathed deep, this time eager to open his eyes, thanking Jesus for all the appropriate gifts to save this fallen world from itself. 

And so he began his day; a new beautiful day with a smile on his face.

It’s too easy for us to get caught up in the turmoil of this world. We distract ourselves from the simple beauty of each day by focusing on everything that is wrong. We forget to love.

Love who you are, what you do and those you meet. We’re all in it together and we’re here for each other. Remember to live a life with purpose. You have a place here and you fit there perfectly. Be honest, sincere and share what you’ve been given.  You can’t love others if you don’t love yourself. Forgive yourself for the things you’ve done, it’s in the past. Who you are today is not who you were yesterday. 

Grow with the Lord. Let him show you His love for this world. Look through the eyes of Jesus and give your heart to him. He will share your heart with who He wants you to love in the way He wants you to love them.

 You are made in His image and He asks us to mirror Him for others to see. 

Every day is not easy and He doesn’t make all things perfect just because you know Him. We are weak; we are persecuted, rebuked, and cast aside on a daily basis. Be thankful for those times, they are an excuse to learn and stand tall. Don’t let pride or self-pity blind you from truth, those are the tools for fools and the wicked. Let yourself be humbled, let go of your possessions, obsessions and distractions. It’s better to shut up and listen than to open your mouth. Be brave and courageous; always do your best even if it’s not the best in the world. Fight for your family, friends and loved ones, they are the only tangible things in this world that are worth anything.

I’m not perfect and I don’t have everything figured out. I make mistakes, I make bad choices, and I fall short of glorifying God at times, but I admit my faults and want to learn from them. I do my best for His glory. Will you do your’s?

Smile. Today is a beautiful day.