Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall . . .

For better or worse, ever notice how your makeup never looks quite the same in your car's visor mirror as it does in your bathroom?

I, myself, have had many disappointing and sometimes downright frightening up-close-and-personal run-ins with a variety of mirrors. Many, many years ago my parents lived in Orange, Texas, for a brief period of time, in a house with awful bathroom lighting. I had a speaking engagement come up in Orange, so, of course, I stayed with my folks. And guess where I got primped up and ready for my Orange, Texas, speaking debut? Yup, in the bathroom with the worst lighting.

lll

Still, I was careful in my preparation, and I thought I was looking pretty fine by the time I left the house. I had blow-dried and curled and sprayed everything that needed that kind of attention, and covered, shaded, painted and highlighted everything else. As I greeted those precious women who had come to hear me speak, several commented excitedly, "Oh, we just can hardly wait to hear you speak!" I thought that was so sweet of them . . . until I took a quick bathroom break. In the clear light of the Ramada Inn Ladies' Room, just off the banquet hall, I got a totally different perspective on how I looked. No wonder those gals were waiting with bated breath to hear my stories -- they probably thought I was a hooker giving her "From Pimps to Prophesy" testimony! What had appeared perfectly normal and natural to me at mom's bathroom sink looked anything but that when examined under a different light.

Our lives are like that, aren't they? As long as we don't look too closely at some things, they can seem to be okay, even pretty doggone good at times. But when those things are brought out into the light, very often we find they are not what we thought they were. Sometimes, they look a little shabbier; sometimes they're not even recognizable. And, thankfully, once in a while, we even discover treasures that we couldn't begin to appreciate when they were hidden from the light.

Regardless of the results, we shouldn't be afraid to examine things in the light. Things we're attached to, committed to. Relationships. Ideas. Ourselves. Sure, we may find that not all is as it appears to be. But isn't that the point? I don't know about you, but I want to be brave enough to opt for what's real -- not that which only gives the appearance of being real. (Think diamonds, not cubic zirconia!) And besides, bringing areas of my life into the light allows me to work on those things that need sprucing up a bit. To let go of that which doesn't need to be part of my life. To maybe even embrace some treasures I was neglecting.

Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness" (John 12:46).

Examining and making choices,

Pamm