Sunday, December 20, 2009

Do You See What I See?

Most of us, I would venture to guess, do not always like what we see when we look at ourselves in the mirror. It is all too common to immediately begin zeroing in on those features that we don't like or that we think don't measure up to whatever standards we have in our heads. It's not just our physical characteristics that get picked apart; those unseen inner qualities get the harsh review too.

That is why we need friends around us who can show us another, clearer picture. It is a beautiful thing when friends mirror back to us our true selves. Not the selves we think we are--the messed up, selfish, failure-ridden selves that we envision, but our REAL selves. The selves that we are now--the beautiful, creative, generous selves.

And, perhaps even more importantly, they mirror back to us the selves that we could be, the selves that we were created by God to be. True friends point out our potential, even though--get this--they know our flaws. Despite that, they see beauty and splendor in us. There is a real joy in having friends like that who see what we are, quite often, unable to see for ourselves, and who unveil this picture to us.

We all need friends like that. Do you have friends who mirror your true self back to you? And are you being someone else's mirror now?

1 comment:

That Girl said...

I don't mind when friends give me some constructive criticism but I flat out don't believe them when they say something nice so...