journeys-page

I participated in my first ever Trunk-or-Treat this past Wednesday. Having never been to a Trunk-or-Treat before, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. So, when choosing how to decorate my trunk, I knew I wanted it to be easy, but also somehow meaningful. The result, a simple mirror with the words, “God’s Masterpiece” surrounding it. I threw in a couple of paint trays and some brushes and Ta-da!!…I was quite proud of my cleverness and creativity. However, I was not at all prepared for the response it would receive. As each child approached my trunk, they read the words and peered into the mirror, looking for “God’s Masterpiece.” Watching the smiles that followed as they made the connection was priceless!!…Woot! Woot! They “GOT IT”!! Then the “Awes” that came from their parents as they looked over their child’s shoulder and saw the smiling child’s reflection. I could sense in those awes that for a moment those parents flashed back to the day they were blessed, the day they first laid eyes on that child as they entered their life.  They awed as they remembered and awed as they too recognized the wonderful Masterpiece God had created in their child, and perhaps maybe, even in themselves. It was quite heartwarming! Still, the younger children were the best!! They would get as close as they could to that mirror. Some would twist their bodies and turn their heads trying to get different angles and views. Some raised their eyebrows, smiling and then frowning, hoping to change the shape of their face. What caught my attention the most, was that they didn’t care who was watching. They weren’t critical of themselves and they weren’t boastful. They didn’t doubt what they saw, and they didn’t feel insecure. Not one of them wanted to look away and when I asked them if they liked what they saw, if they thought it was beautiful, every single one of them answered with a yes! Even with the intentional distortions, they truly admired the work of art that was reflecting at them. Seeing only a reflection of themselves…uniquely and perfectly made, just as God intended. They couldn’t read, but they still “GOT IT”! How simple is that??!!…God doesn’t want us to look in the mirror and not be happy with the reflection we see. When we are critical or dissatisfied with our own reflection, we are insulting the creator, God. You are a Masterpiece after all! – HIS Masterpiece!! So, the next time you are around a child, give them a mirror and just observe. See how they see themselves. Then, I hope the next time you look in the mirror yourself, that you look with the eyes of a child. Look in the mirror without criticism, without insecurities, and without false image.  Instead, see “God’s Beautiful Masterpiece”! —Marcy Johnson