Life's Mirror

One of my granddaughter’s, Haley, and I, share a favorite author, Frank Peretti. He writes supernatural thrillers, and has great insight into the ‘unseen forces’ at work in our world. Recently, she finished a book he co-authored with Ted Dekker, called “House”, which she left with me to read. It didn’t take me very long, because as with all his books, once you get into the meat of it you can hardly put it down until you get to the end!

In case anyone would like to read it, I don’t want to say too much about the story line and ruin the suspense, and all the mind-bending twists throughout the tale, for you. But, I do want to share something that came to mind tonight as I was on my nightly walk with my Yorkie, Kaysi. In the book, the main theme centers on the characters facing the evil within them. As I was reflecting on what I had read, I realized that much of the life we see and experience around our ‘self’ is merely a reflection of what is already within us – sometimes deep within us, so deep it is beyond our conscious thought.

I don’t know about you, but when my surroundings are neat and orderly, I feel more balanced and undisturbed. I used to think that I made things that way so that I would feel more orderly and in control on the inside. But, I realize now that it is the opposite that is true --- that when I am in control, calm, confident, ‘collected’, on the inside, my surroundings take on the same character – being neat and tidy. If I begin to feel chaotic on the inside, however, suddenly it seems my entire house is upside down and everything is out of place!

Even our relationships ‘mirror’ to us what is truly going on inside of us. When we are at peace with ourselves, our relationships are smooth and we feel very connected with others. But, when we are at odds with our own ‘self’ – perhaps not living in congruence with a core belief in some way or another – or we feel angry or depressed --- our relationships with others become stormy, too. And, being the human creatures that we are – we will unknowingly and even unwittingly begin to find ways to fill the voids within us in an attempt to soothe our soul, more often than not in ways that are neither healthy nor truly effective. Unless, of course, we make a conscious effort to find the true cause underlying our stormy emotions.

Stop for a minute and take a personal ‘inventory’ of your surroundings……….. what might they be trying to tell you? Just as we use a mirror to view our physical appearance in order to make whatever adjustments we believe are necessary to what we see --- even so, we can use our physical environment and the events in our lives like a mirror of what is going on inside of us. And, in the same way we change our physical appearance to portray our best ‘self’ – we can ‘make adjustments’ on the inside to become the person we really would like to be, too. We can be sure that as we do this, things around us will eventually change. Sometimes it’s as simple as correcting our attitude – other times it may take some real deep soul-searching and a willingness to see what may be hiding there. Regardless to whether we use the information we gather from ‘life’s mirror’ to our advantage or not, the universe will continue to reflect our true inner image to us.

If we truly want to be a positive influence on our grandchildren, and their peers, we must first start by setting a good example in every area of our lives – including our own personal growth. How can we help our grandchildren learn to view their life’s circumstances as their own ‘mirrors’ of life – if we are reluctant to do so ourselves? However, as we begin to use our circumstances, surroundings and even events, as useful information to help us make adjustments in our thinking, we will find opportunities to help our grandchildren do the same.

Don’t like what you see? . Einstein said, “You can’t solve problems with the same mind that created them.” So, decide what it is you do want, and then do whatever it takes to change your current attitude and reprogram your thinking in a way that will help you create what it is you truly desire.