Mirrored Truths

To the woman staring in the mirror looking back at me:

I know you stand there  looking and  wondering if what you think and  feel reflect what is true.

I've known you many years. All my life in fact. I remember you at age 12. You'd  stare and ask if you'd ever be pretty one day. You'd take measure of your awkwardness: your buck teeth, frizzy hair, and glasses, telling yourself you were just an ugly duckling that one day would become a swan. You hoped it would be true.

Now you stand facing yourself well over 20 years later. To your disappointment, you don't see a Swan at all. You take stock of your perpetual pony tail,  frazzled nerves, and tired & thickened body... wondering if that Swan will ever be.

Oh dear woman in the mirror - let me tell you the truth of what you're failing to see:

Where you see fear, I see courage. Despite not knowing how and where this life will lead, you stand up and move forward seeking the purposes of your gifts. Trust and surrender,in spite of fear, have become your compass. Yes dear woman, you are an image of faith. 

Where you see lack of makeup and fashionable clothes, I see the lack of pretense or falsehood. You don't pretend to be less than you are. You share your heart and life, joys and pain with others. Yes dear woman, you are an image of welcoming transparency.

Where you see a lack of abundance, I see your generosity shared with many.  You may not have lots of extras, but a meal is always available at your table to anyone who needs one. If you have something another needs and you can do without, you do what you can to share and give. Yes dear woman, you are an image of hospitality in action.

Where you see a few extra pounds and some extra curves in your skin, I see the remnants of the children you bore. Your body changed as you allowed another to grow with life. You traded a priority of vanity for the priority of new life. Yes dear woman, you are an image of motherhood.

Where you see someone who struggles with talking too much, I see a woman gifted with words. You learned to listen to the heart of others so that when you spoke, it was an appropriate word in due season. Yes dear woman, you are an image of encouragement. 

Please remember that what you see in the mirror with your naked eye, is not what defines who you are. It's the mere shell of the woman inside. The woman who strives to love, live, and give well. Your value and worth is not measured by a quick glimpse in the mirror. It's not the color of your hair, clarity of skin, or coordination of your clothes that give you worth. It's who you are on the inside and who you are becoming that counts and reflects beauty. And that dear woman, is the reflection of truth.