Daily Prompt: Mirror, Mirror

by michelle w. on January 22, 2014

Look in the mirror. Does the person you see match the person you feel like on the inside? How much stock do you put in appearances?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us MIRRORED.

I yawn and push my hair back behind my ear as I lean forward to survey myself in the mirror. I wrinkle my nose in disgust at the puffy eyes and sleep lines criss-crossing my forehead.

But wait!

I look closer and deeper in shock as suddenly the mirror begins to vibrate and pull apart into a new reflecting substance. I gasp as I no longer see my blue eyes and curly hair, but instead see my soul- every thought and feeling and emotion.

I quickly look away, not sure if I really want to see all of this. Is this the way I look inside? What would people say if they could see this?

I always thought that the outside of me matched the inside of me, but now I’m not so sure. The outside of me always wears a smile and a laugh, but the inside of me speaks of hurt and tears. The outside of me is dressed just right, but the inside of me is scattered and confused. I did not realize how this part of me looked.

To the left I see an ugly blotch of jealousy; I quickly grab some concealer to cover it. Then I frantically try to scrub away the acne of pride. Soon, I begin to use the tweezers on complaining.

I look away from the mirror and fall back into a chair in frustration because nothing I do seems to get rid of this ugliness within me. As I bury my head in my hands and weep, I hear a tender voice alongside of me. I cover my soul with my hands trying to hide what I want no one to see.

“It isn’t pretty is it? No matter how hard you have tried to gloss and shine the outside, the inside is quite the opposite.”

I nod my head in despair, still keeping my eyes lowered in shame.

“I have tried for years to get you to look at this part of you, but you were always too busy and wanted to pretend that there was nothing wrong. I wanted to show you, but only now were you willing to look.”

I grab a sweater and pull it over my open soul, “But, why do I have to? I wish I had never seen this. Why can’t I go on believing that the inside is as good as the outside?”

“Because, it is impossible for any human to have a perfect inside. The quicker you realize this, the quicker you can do something about it.”

“But I can’t do anything about it. I have tried everything that I can possibly do, but it all is still there.”

I feel soft hands raise my head and turn me towards himself. “Look into my eyes,” he commands.

Slowly, I lift my eyes until they lock with his. Never have I felt anything like this- I feel like I am about to drown in guilt, but yet there is such an unspeakable love that is holding me up above the waves. He pulls my sweater from me and guides me to the mirror once again. This time, instead of only seeing my horrible soul, I see his beauty and grace standing beside me. I now know that he is The Great Physician. I bow my head and clasp my hands as I plead, “Will you heal me?”

He does not say a word, but begins to wash my soul. Oh, it hurts to be sanitized and disinfected, but I keep my attention on his scarred hands to take my mind from the pain as He gently cleans. Suddenly he stops, I look at him wondering if it is possibly finished. He nods His head as if He had read my thoughts. Then He lifts His hands and I look into the mirror once again. I gasp. This could not be my soul. It must be someone else’s. The blacks and darks have been replaced with warmth and brightness. My soul seems to completely radiate and shine. All the defects have been replaced with beauty. Instead of jealousy there is love. Servanthood has replaced pride, and gratitude has taken the place of complaining. I finally get words out of my mouth, “How did you do this?”

He smiles as He shows me His hands and then clasps mine in His, “Because of this, my child. These hands were scarred and I was tortured so that I can make you as beautiful inside as you are outside- because the inside beauty is more important that the outside. The inside is who you really are. You need to be willing to look at your soul and come to me for washing whenever there is something ugly within your soul. If you let it grow unhindered, it will take control again; but if you allow me to keep you clean and pure, the lovely things that you now see will only bloom fuller and more perfect. You can not do it on your own, but I will always be here, my Daughter.”