I feel like I am in a time warp. It was just several weeks ago when things were somewhat “normal” and now it feels like ages ago! So much has happened, so much has changed, so many questions. My “ordinary” and “comfortable” have been disrupted and my inner self is being a little rebellious. I want to do things “the old way.” I want to go back to my comfort zone. I don’t feel ready to handle some of the tasks/situations that lie ahead. I can’t wrap my brain around so many things at once, and then when I do, they all change again! These have been some of the thoughts that have rolled through my mind over these past weeks. I am sure that all of us have felt this way at some point in time. Sometimes I wish I had a magic mirror that I could peer into that would tell me everything that was going to happen…or do I?
While circumstances that surround us may short-circuit our brain and cause us to doubt, fear, or worry, there is one thing that remains constant…God’s love for us. It sounds cliche, but it is oh, so true! Let me give you some perspective.
Do you think Abraham understood how he could be the father of many nations when he gazed upon all of those stars up in the sky? Do you think David understood why he was running for his life through the wilderness instead of sitting on a throne? Do you think the Israelites thoroughly understood that the walls of Jericho would fall as they praised God with a victorious shout? These people in these situations had no magic mirror, but they trusted in a God who loved them infinitely more than they could imagine. That same God exists for us today.
Even in the midst of dire situations, God worked (works) it for good, someway, somehow. We might not always have the privilege of seeing the “answer” this side of heaven, but that does not mean that God is not working behind the scenes. He most certainly is! The reason that we are able to praise God in the middle of the storm is that what we know about God is far more important than what we don’t. This is what I do know: I know that God will never leave me because He loves me (John 3:16). I know that God is for me, not against me (Romans 8:31). I know that God’s promises are true and that He wants what is best for me (Psalm 33:4). The obstacles in front of us are what drives us to our Savior. And these obstacles, dear friend, develop in us a discipline of faith that will bring us into a knowledge of God that would probably otherwise not have been impossible. Those words of promise are our lifeline.
So getting back to the title of this article, “Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall…”
My 8th-grade class (with help) created a framed mirror several weeks ago for our school auction. The mirror was set amongst an array of tiles that bore their confirmation verses written in their own handwriting. As I pictured this mirror in my mind, my thought was this…This is the exact mirror that each of us needs on our walls so that we can start our day being reminded of God’s promises as we see a reflection of His creation (Me! You!). We don’t need a mirror to tell us the future. We already know what the future holds for us because we believe the promises of God over the lies of the world. We are His. He is our Shepherd. “Have no fear, little flock; Have no fear, little flock, for the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom; Have no fear little flock.” (LSB 735)
Campfires and Marshmallows 