A personal reflection…

Preparing for a major overseas trip, I ordered some travel items from Rick Steves, the travel guru.  One item was a small, yellow, toiletries bag.  I love that little bag….it can hold all the necessary items for a trip (in 3 ounce containers, of course).  When you unzip the front, it has a hook so you can hang it anywhere for easy access.  And on that zippered front is a small mirror attached by Velcro.  Actually, the mirror was the only disappointment.   It was very foggy and not very useful, especially in low light.  I didn’t think much about it, except that I would have expected better quality from the travel expert.  Not long after returning from the trip, I noticed the mirror was pealing around the edges.  Wow, this is really cheap, I thought.  But before throwing it away, I pulled on a curled edge and, much to my surprise, a thin plastic sheet came off the mirror revealing clearly the stupefied expression on my face.  It had never occurred to me that the mirror might have a protective covering.  After a few moments of feeling really, really dumb, I began to reflect (pun intended…)

How often is my view of others, of events, of knowledge, even of God, distorted because my understanding is clouded.  Is it possible to pull away the veil that obscures true perception?  In Ephesians 1:17-18, Paul speaks about the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that opens the “eyes of your heart.” 2 Peter 1:19 refers to the “word” being like a light shining in a dark place.  In the context of the supremacy of love, Paul explains in I Corinthians 13:12 “now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then (when we are made perfect in love) we shall see face to face. “

The veil over my heart is not something I can remove by myself.  It continuously clouds my perceptions, causing me to misjudge motives, to think the worst rather than the best of others, to envy, become boastful (in my mind if not in my words) and even to doubt God.  All of these things, I hate.  But the Bible tells me, it is only by God’s Spirit, His Word, and His love perfected in us, that the veil can be torn away.  It is a wonderful thing to see clearly, because, when we do, the reflection we see more closely resembles Christ (Ephesians 4:23).  Now there’s something to reflect upon…