The Girl in the Mirror

She stands looking in the mirror. Stares, really. Not in a "I look so beautiful" kind of way. Instead, she scrutinizes every little detail about herself. From the top of her head to the bottom of her feet, there's something she would change. She's not tall enough, not small enough, not as pretty as the next girl, not how she would choose to be. There are times when she feels invisible. And other times when she wishes she were. I've been that girl.

I recently went to see the third Chronicles of Narnia movie. I am a huge fan of the movies, not only for the stories and amazing effects, but also for the spiritual application they bring. This one was no exception. There's one scene in particular that has really stuck with me. The youngest, Lucy, comes across a book of wishes and suddenly realizes that she can have the one thing she wants more than anything: to be beautiful like her sister Susan. She rips the page out of the book & tucks it in her pocket. Later that evening, she pulls out the piece of paper & begins to recite the words on it. As she looks in the full-length mirror, she sees herself transform into a beautiful, grown-up woman, in effect becoming Susan. She then gets a glimpse of what her life would have been like as her sister. She finds out that Narnia would have never existed if that were the case. Almost immediately after her vision, Aslan (who is representative of the Lord) appears in her room. At that point, Lucy realizes that to desire to be like Susan would be wishing away her own life. Aslan reminds her that her value is priceless and that she should not compare herself to others.

That impacted me. I can really relate to Lucy. Really. This has been a battle for me for many years, and at the root of it, is comparison and self-criticism. It's so easy to look at others and wonder why I don't have this or that. Or worse, to pick apart the little things about myself I wish I could change. Why do I waste my time doing that? The verse at the top of my blog about being fearfully & wonderfully made? I believe that most of the time. And when I don't, I'm focused on the wrong things & not on the truth that God tells me in His word. That is the standard I should be judging myself by. Not the world's standards. As I've gotten older & grown in my relationship with the Lord, this has become less of a struggle. There's something about both of those things that have strengthened my confidence. But, it has definitely been a journey for me!

Maybe you have a similar struggle? I would just encourage you that when those insecurities start to come on you (and they will), give them over to the Lord. Allow HIM to show you & tell you who you are in HIM. And, He will if you surrender. We're all made in the image of God and made so uniquely. No two people were created alike because God didn't choose to design us that way. He wants us to compliment one another with the strengths and weaknesses we have. There is beauty in that.