Reflections
Sunday, April 10, 2011
We’ve had a few visitors at Chez Magz over the past few days and, thankfully, I was given enough notice to make sure the cushions were plumped, the floors swept free of dog hairs, and the windows and mirrors polished to a smear-free finish. It was while I was wiping the bathroom mirror I glanced up at my reflection and stopped. There was a time when I was young, fresh-faced and thought I was ‘it’ that I would spend hours in front of a mirror, in a rather narcissistic fashion, experimenting with makeup and hairstyles. Those days are long gone. Now, I see myself and wonder who is that middle-aged woman looking back at me? She certainly bears no relation to the image I hold of myself, where I am a perennial twenty-something. Where did all these ‘laughter lines’ come from? I mean, life can’t possibly be that funny. But, even though time may wait for no man (or woman), I have discovered that each age brings its own blessings. I may not be rich, but I have an abundance of love and friendship in my life, and that is worth more to me than all the goods money can buy.
Having said that…. life would be very dull without my camera…
Whether it is my new digital SLR, an ancient model which still uses a ‘spool’, or the camera which comes with my mobile phone, I constantly keep my eyes open for a possible photograph; landscapes, flowers, the ever-present dogs and their antics, interesting faces, and even the patterns of clouds in the sky have presented me with interesting subjects to try and capture. One, in particular, remains my favourite. On a hill walk in Harris last year, I came across a scene of incredible beauty. A solitary hill clad in the autumn colours of burnt orange bracken stood against the background of a perfectly blue sky. In itself, it was altogether lovely. What made it truly spectacular was the perfect reflection in a still, clear loch which nestled beneath it.
Christ is altogether lovely to me. He is my first and last love. That does not diminish the love he has put in my heart for husband, children, friends and family; instead, he enriches it, feeds it, and makes it a gift to be cherished, treasured and not easily squandered. He needs nothing else to enhance His loveliness, for of and in Himself he is perfect, the Son of the Living God, our risen Saviour, our Advocate, our Elder Brother, our Alpha and Omega and yet….. every day, I see him reflected in the lives and faces of people I meet. His love shines in and through them. In the still river of their soul, I see His image reflected and the beauty of that image takes my breath away. You may look in a mirror and see lines, grey hairs and weary eyes, but if you have the love of Christ dwelling in your heart, you are and always will be beautiful.
