Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Good morning!
This morning as I was driving in to work, I started to reflect on this weekend's activities.  I have a pretty full life between work, family, friends, church and well...me.  One thing really touched me this weekend which caused me to pause and want to capture my feelings.  It was a picture of me at my best friend's wedding 15 years ago.  I had seen these pictures before, but it's probably been over 10 years since I've seen them.  My friend's had pulled their photo album out and already had been reminiscing about old times when I arrived.

What I thought would be a casual perusal of the moments captured at their wedding turned into connecting with an old friend from long ago.  I enjoyed moving through the photo album with everyone pointing out funny looks, gushing over how beautiful and handsome they were as bride and groom.  How young we all looked.  Then it happened...I turned the page and saw a photo of my dear old friend looking straight into the camera and possibly into the future right at me.  I had known this friend all my life, she had been there when I had my first crush, when I had my first heart break, my first time performing on stage, when I fell in love face first for the very first time, she knew things about me that I tried to forget.  She was 22 and more beautiful than I remembered.  Her eyes were bright and her smile a bit more reserved than usual.

I somehow wanted to tell her all the things about herself that she either did not believe then or know yet.  I wanted to tell her that she had achieved being accepted to U of M and that it was okay that her course of study changed and to pursue it harder than anything else in life that seemed to matter at that time.  I wanted to tell her that she would endure heartbreak, but it would not break her and to be more fearless.  What she thought would be the end of the story would not be so, that God had always been there when she didn't even turn to Him for guidance.  That the wisdom she had been praying for was on the way and that she would gain it through the experiences God had already planned out for her through His perfect will.  She should also know that I loved her so much.  I loved her more than any other being on this earth did or ever would and to make sure that those who would claim to love her knew that I loved her more.  More importantly, I wanted her to know what Pastor H. would tell her when I was in the middle of a storm, "I am beautifully and wonderfully made."

This dear friend was me of course.  It was as if God held a mirror up to my face so that I could clearly comprehend what He created in me.  I smile now looking at her and the innocence in her eyes.  I think I was so worried that my hair didn't look right and that I'd disappoint the bride or that others would see the attraction I had to one of the groom's men.  I am so grateful that God loves me so much that He would take me through the things I needed to go through in order to become the woman I am today and that He would not leave me alone even in times I was not seeking Him the way He wants me to.  But this weekend I was thanking Him for reminding me who I am.

Do you see what God sees in you when you look at yourself in the mirror?

Peace, Detroit Luv & Soooooul!
Daniella