Mirrors

"Did you ever go out to the fun house to play and look at the mirrors?
They bend up your face and widen your waist and alter the shape of your hair.
In one place you're as huge as a hot hair balloon and another as thin as a stick.
At first you're as slim as a telephone pole and everywhere else you are thick.
Some people are mirrors reflecting to us an image we really are not.
If we think that those mirrors are telling the truth, we've been blinded to all that we've got.
Some say that we're onry or stupid or weird, some say that we're stuck up or fat.
But in others real view is a reflection of you that doesn't have any of that.
Who are the best mirrors that you and I have? Who gives a reflection that's true?
Who sees us for all that's hidden inside? Father in Heaven that's who.
You've also got teachers and parents and friends whose reflections are true and correct.
When Peers say you're homely or hotty or dumb, God says you're my child, you're elect.
So get out some paper and pick up a pen and write down what others may say,
Then turn over and fill it with things the Lord and Prophets convey.
On one side you'll have all that others have said, some are true, some are hard to conceive.
Then turn to God's side and ask yourself "Which side am I going to believe?"
~John Bytheway

Throughout our lives we are given all sorts of labels. These labels are given to us by people who may or may not know us well enough to make a judgment, but feel they have some sort of right to try to define us. In my short 25 years of life, I have received many different labels; some uplifting and encouraging, others painful and demeaning, and some completely contradictory. I have been labeled as smart, stupid, amazing, beautiful, difficult, fat, fun, soulless, the nicest person in the world, crazy, determined, spitfire, "hott", emotionless, compassionate, selfish, sweet, motivated, lazy, funny, independent, stubborn, gorgeous, talented, blunt, empathetic, evil, cold, delicious, stuck up, cocky, cute, wonderful, and the list goes on and on.

What we call each other becomes what we think of each other, and it matters. As children of God, we need to be careful not only how we try to define others, but also how we allow the opinions and labels of others to affect the way we view ourselves. In a world where we are constantly told what's wrong with us and that we're somehow lacking, we need to remember that these opinions hold no value. Our worth is not determined by how others view us.

In Max Lucado's "You Are Special", we are reminded that God's opinion of us is more important than the opinions of those around us. "You are special because I made you, and I don't make mistakes."



We are all children of God, therefore we are each of incomprehensible worth. The world will beat us up. People we love will say hurtful things. People we've never met will pass judgment based solely on our appearance. We need to make sure that we reflect the truth when dealing with others. Are you a fun house mirror that distorts the reflections of those who look to you, making it difficult for them to see who they are? Or are you a true mirror, someone who shows others who they truly are and allows them to see themselves the way our Heavenly Father sees them?