The Mirror

I recently had an unusual experience, one that I never expected to have.  I believe this experience to be a gift from God, a blessing to help me better understand how He sees me and hopefully change the way I see myself. 

A few nights ago, as I was preparing for bed, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand, I glanced up and looked in the mirror.  The face that looked back at me was hardly recognizable.  It's complexion was pale, smooth and even with only a slight trace of childhood freckles and completely void of teenage acne scars.  I found myself staring into blue-grey eyes which were calm and peaceful.  The face was framed by smooth, dark hair, just the right shade to offset its pale skin.  Astounded by the beauty of the face that looked back at me, I just stood there, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand.

I continued to stare until I could again see the scar on my nose.  Faded freckles turned into dirt-like smudges and my cheeks and forehead revealed their patchy red-and-pink-and-white nature.  The dark circles under my eyes slowly returned and the calm, blue-grey color began to betray signs stress and fear.  Closer inspection showed the frizzy nature of my hair, uncontrolled fly-a-ways giving me a look of recent electrocution.  Finally seeing myself the way I was accustomed to, I turned away from the mirror and resumed brushing my teeth.

When I look at myself, I see the imperfections.  I see my flaws and shortcomings.  In that moment, probably no longer than a minute, I was blessed with the chance to see myself without my physical flaws.  I have been pondering on that minute since then, trying to understand why I was given this opportunity.  There was something more to learn from this experience than just seeing a pretty, flawless version of myself.  

When I think about myself in a mental, emotional, or spiritual sense, I see the imperfections.  Much like my physical appearance, I tend to notice the imperfections more than I notice anything else.  Some of these flaws are current problems, but most are just scars, remnants of old problems and pain that is still fading.  Christ has promised us that, through his atonement, we can be healed and our sins are forgotten.  I might still see the scars, but in that moment, staring into the mirror, I was able to see myself without them.  I was granted an opportunity to physically see myself the way that He sees me so that I might better understand how He sees me spiritually.  As promised, He has forgotten my sins and healed my scars, so He no longer sees them.  In His eyes, I am beautiful.