Mirror, Mirror

Truthfully, I’ve sat here for way too long trying to figure out how to even begin crafting my thoughts into words. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are some matters of the heart and mutterings of the soul that even the written word cannot capture.

However, I’m going to give it my best shot. When I was a kid, I would ride along in the car and look at the side view mirrors reading that statement, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear” over and over again. I would sit and ponder why it mattered how big they were because the most important thing was that they were there at all! PERIOD. Remember that scene from Jurassic Park when they’re trying to escape the very large and carnivorous T-Rex? One of the passengers in the vehicle looks in the side view mirror and sees the T-Rex chasing after them. Even then the statement about the objects is on the mirror! If you look in your rear view mirror and see a very large, dangerous, and man-eating animal chasing you, you need not worry about the size, you need to worry about the fact that it’s chasing you at all.

I’ve learned this the hard way in life. Many times I would look in a side view mirror, or even one in front of me, and I would assess a size or value to them. Some of the things were good things but because they didn’t look big enough I didn’t keep them close enough to me. Other things were not so good. They were/are the T-Rex chasing me. And then I have found myself not looking in the mirror at all because out of sight is out of mind, right? 

It’s the things all around our lives that we choose to either draw closer to or simply justify away and ignore. I have found that I often spend more time trying to justify things into my own understanding to better fit MY will. That has managed to get me hurt, disappointed, frustrated, and feeling unworthy. And knowing the difference between right and wrong really IS a powerful thing. (My mom and dad should be proud.) At the end of the day, I am learning that some people are just fine being the T-Rex while others spend their lives running from a T-Rex. I’m choosing not to be either one.

Why? Because when I embrace the good things and draw them closer to me their size doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that they’re there at all that matters. Suddenly their size becomes less relevant because it’s more important that they’re reflected in my mirror at all. All of this requires letting go and giving in. Mark my words, this is NOT easy. But letting go of the T-Rex that you’ve clung to for so long means more room for embracing something that’s a better reflection in your life. And giving in and giving up are two very different things. Giving UP has an implied sense of hopelessness, defeat, and failure. But giving in comes with an inherent trust that requires surrendering to something you can’t see or touch because HOPE is a better reflection.

Faith calls us to look at what is reflected in our mirrors and make some tough choices. Sometimes faith calls us to let go of something we’ve thought to be good for a long time. Sometimes faith calls you to be the light amongst the darkness. Sometimes faith calls us to be the balance on the scale of right and wrong. Sometimes faith calls us to trust just a little bit longer. Whatever it calls me to do, I’m going to do it.