Trick Mirrors and Other Spiritual Phenomena

I’ve always told my family and friends I have killer spy skills (as in “good”, not assassin-like).

I like to think I could be the female Jason Bourne.

I love Europe. I love the idea of running and jumping over rooftops. I like driving fast. What more do I need, right?

Well, with these spy skills, I’ve discovered a conspiracy of epic proportions. If you’re a guy reading this, it may not be your post, but if you’re a woman this will probably change your life and you’re welcome.

I’ve discovered that there is a conspiracy among shop owners of stores with women’s clothing. They are all buying TRICK MIRRORS that make you look better than you really are! I know this from first-hand experience.  I shop “virtually” with my daughters and I am not blind or unrealistic. I send pictures to both Katy and Maggie for their approval.

The other day I found a dress that, given my many limitations and requirements (taking into account weight, age, body type, phases of the moon etc.) I thought looked OK on me.  I said OK, not great –  I’m realistic here. But the mirror said “OK” and I sent a picture to the girls (of me IN the trick mirror) and they gave me a thumbs up.

So I bought the dress. And I wore the dress. And my sister-in-law had the nerve to take a candid picture, and you know what? It was NOT OK! In the picture I looked very different (read: MUCH FATTER) than in the TRICKY MIRROR!

You may be wondering why I’m telling you this (other than to warn you about the trick mirror conspiracy). Well, this experience got me to thinking and remembering a little verse in the Bible that I’d like to ignore. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but what I remembered is: The heart is deceitful above all things. Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

Sometimes we have blind-spots to sin in our lives and just don’t see the ugliness in our soul. Other times we may rationalize that if we look ok on the outside no one will notice the darkness of our hearts. Still other times we agonize over stains of sin that God has forgiven but Satan tries to convince us are permanent. Whatever… we can be walking around with a warped picture.

So I’ve been reflecting on how I/we can be more appropriately self-aware.

Look at what the Message paraphrase is of verses 9 and 10 from Jeremiah 17:

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
    a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
    and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
    I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
    not as they pretend to be.”

Look at all the “I statements” God makes!

In order to be self-aware we need to be sin-aware.

In order to be sin-aware we need to be God-aware.

When we’re God-aware we become grace-aware.

The caution of James 1:22-25 is sobering.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

But one of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 3:18:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (NASB)

The good news is if we keep looking at God and paying attention, eventually we will end up looking more like Him (no trick mirrors)!

Anyway, that’s where my mind has gone recently.

Now, today I was in Windsor where they are getting ready for Ascot. So tell me…does this hat make me look fat?