Once upon a time is my favorite beginning for a story. I don't know if it's the curiosity or my own desire to step into the story book, but I'm just captive until I turn the page to find out what's behind the one I just read!!
I have often read about mirrors in these fairytales, and have pondered what the image looks like in reverse. Sometimes mirrors are people, and other times the mirror is a sacred place... like the ocean. Mostly, the mirrors in my life have been glass.
Sometimes glass breaks. After the glass breaks an evaluation must be done of course. Glass has a front and a back... the part we see and the part we think we see. When glass breaks it can cut. Some people throw broken glass away. Who wants all that mess and drama laying around on the floor? What good is a broken mirror? What is a broken mirror capable of turning into? Broken glass can rebuild something even more complex and beautiful.
I grew up with a large mirror in my room. I practiced singing to it, smiling, matching my outfits for school over and over. I made sure I looked "good enough" to go out of the house. This of course was a perception in my mind. If I looked right, then I would be treated right. Pretty selfish of me, yes ..... but I was still learning. I learned that most people judged me by what they saw. Not the real me, not the "pray for your enemies" or "people who can judge you unfairly" me, but the skin deep me. Often when young girls grow into our braces, our haircuts, our lanky bodies and our big eyes we wonder what others think. I know this because I was one and fortunately for me, I was not one of the fairest ones. It was a defining time in my perception of people, for one's spirit is the true measure of their worth. My spirit speaks.
What a gift to grow up the ugly duckling, for I learned that I can love others and forgive them. When I do, I start listening instead of looking. Their spirit also speaks.
Being fair of face is also a blessing. I'm grateful I grew into my awkward and started looking outward. I finally fit into that lanky body, big eyes, got the metal off my perfect teeth and grew out my hair. I found that although I had fixed my skin deep problems, I had not repaired the deeper self worth issues within. People still judged me on my outfits and my smile. I've just gotten better at looking beyond theirs.
After years of talking, reading, counseling, writing, forgiving, studying and loving myself in spite of my flawed perception; I've learned some valuable things about that reverse image.
The real truth of the matter is this: we've all got a back story. Even a piece of broken glass. I've got a back story too, and so does every other human being on this planet. Before I start judging and throwing things away, I ought to look a little deeper than the image I see with my eyes. When I have truly loved and served others and they me, we've connected at a far deeper and more meaningful level. It's a language that doesn't need words. The Lord looketh upon the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7: Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature: because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.)
Mirror mirror on the wall.... who is the fairest of them all? Who is the real judge of fair anyway? Certainly not me. I was never put upon this earth to be judged or judge. There is only one perfect enough to do this.... (Mathew 7: 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.)
Amazing isn't it? Someone is there who can take care of everything right, everything wrong and to ultimately repair at the heart level everything that is broken.
I know because my heart has broken.
I also know that when you get a new one you can't explain it without bearing witness to our Master who loves and judges not. My Savior really knows the back and front of my story and has a plan for what complex beautiful creature I will become. With a lot of patience and faith, I will allow him to be rebuild. (Alma 5:14 Have you been spiritually born of God and experienced a might change in your heart?) Once upon a time I wasn't broken after~all.... I was always the mirror image of God's perfect, heartfelt love.
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