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by Ami Samuels

Have you ever caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror when you’re angry? Maybe you were disciplining your children or someone cut you off in traffic. It isn’t pretty, is it?

A reflection reminds me that when others look at us they see something.

What do they see when they look at us? Do they see a person who is tired, worried, fearful, sad, grumpy, or angry? Or do they see someone who is smiling, joyful, peaceful, hopeful, or loving? We are all going to experience these different emotions at times. But, are we allowing them to become who we are?

When we spend time with Jesus, His character and reflection is what others see in us. What I want others to see in me is JESUS.

I have had a fear, or at least a dislike, of nursing homes most of my life. When I was a little girl in a Brownie troop we would visit the nursing home, spending time visiting with the residents. On one of our visits an older woman with dementia thought I was her daughter, and grabbed me and would not let go. So when my family and I visited my cousin in a nursing home several years ago, I immediately had a pit in my stomach. It felt like a very dark place to me. I remember telling myself that I am an adult and it was the right thing to do.

What happened there caught my mother and I by surprise. For an unknown reason people seemed to be drawn to me, unusually so. Different people commented on my eye color or my clothing, and they came up and talked to me and touched my arm. I remember my mom commenting on the fact that others seemed drawn to me that day. As I first thought about that situation, I began to run down a list of descriptions in my mind. I wasn’t the prettiest, thinnest, richest, or smartest person there, so what was it? Why me?

Then I wondered, could it be Jesus? Did they see Jesus in me? That was what I hope they saw in me. That is my heart’s desire that I would reflect Jesus in my life.

Together let’s spend time in the word of God and in prayer, asking God to show us what our reflection says about us. What do others see when they look at us? Does our reflection look like Jesus?

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