The Mirror of Nakedness | What do you see?

I am beginning to wonder if my choice of coffee shop wasn’t the best choice for today.

This place is lined with mirrors. Along the wall of my booth is a mirror so close if I turned my head slightly to the left, I could see to the bottom of my pores. If I turn my head to the right, I gaze out across the coffee shop, which in some sense is very cute and cozy but when I look closely, I can see three of four of myself depending on my angle. I’ve been here plenty of times, but for some reason, today, it’s just become a different experience and I think I know why.  

In the middle school session at the Becoming conference we took a trip back into the Garden of Eden and revisited the events and conversations that took place there.  When Adam and Eve realized that they were naked after partaking from the tree they were instructed not to, they hid, due to fear and shame. They heard God’s voice calling for them in the garden and they were afraid.  When God pursued them in conversation, He asked them one of the most profound questions of all time:

"[Adam, Eve]…..Who told you that you were naked?"

I have spent my whole life listening to all of the voices who find it entertaining to lie to me and to try to tell me who I am.  Sometimes the voices are actually voices of people that I know- and other times the voices come in disguises like thoughts, things I see on TV, or things I read in a magazine...you get the idea.

So this morning, when I woke up- the very first thought that popped in my head was, 

“I feel gross.” 

Which led to, 

“this is not going to be a good hair day.”

Which led to a trip to the bathroom and straight toward the mirror accompanied by the thought,  

“ OMG- not a pimple too!!!”

And after 3 attempts to get my hair looking cute, I threw it in a pony, left the house frustrated and thinking horribly about myself.  Sound familiar?

Now, isn’t it funny that today I chose THIS coffee shop, of all the coffee shops in my area, to come to??

I didn’t think about those darn mirrors while I was on my way here.  However, now as I sit here quietly, annoyed as crap with all of these mirrors, I hear a different voice.  Ever so gently (which is one of the ways that I know God is talking to me because He is always loving, and always gentle when He corrects) I hear Him say, 

“Cara, who told you that you weren’t beautiful today?  How did this start?” 

And I am reminded of how my loving Father said to my brother Adam and my sister Eve, “Who told you that you were naked?  Who told you that you should be ashamed of how you were made? Who told you that you are not okay, and absolutely WONDERFUL, just as you are?”   

I wouldn’t be surprised if he spoke to Eve specifically about her beauty, for God knows that at the heart of every woman is a desire to be stunning, and to be told that she is so.  

Girls, the Enemy will take every opportunity to tell us a lie.  Remember my sweet sisters—no mirror, no man, no media or voice other than God’s alone can tell you who you are- for “you are fearfully and crazy wonderfully made!” 

Love,

Cara

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Cara is a girl who is embracing each season and capturing key moments through writing, music, coloring, and community. She enjoys doing all of these things much better when she has a cup of tea in hand and her slippers on. You can find her at caraemaat.blogspot.com