Mirrors. Aquariums. Oompa-Loompas.

Have you ever walked into a mirror?

Don’t be ashamed.  I have.  It’s perfectly ok.  I like to think of myself as a pretty observant person, but this day, I obviously wasn’t…

It happened when I least expected it.  I was celebrating a friend’s birthday at the Cincinnati Aquarium in Ohio, minding my own business, doing things normal 9 or 10 year olds do.  The last thing on my mind was watching out what for was in front of me.  If you haven’t been to this aquarium, they have (or had, it’s been 12+ years since I’ve been there) glass tunnels that you would walk through and look at all the different marine life all around you.  At the beginning of each tunnel, they had this decorative arch around the entryway, and it was the same arch at each tunnel.  I remember the arches distinctly because I always wondered what it would be like to be able to breathe underwater.  These arches were the gateway to a world where I could do just that, or at least pretend to.  After what seemed like hours of wandering through the underwater tunnels, we came to what I thought was another tunnel.  There was an arch just like every other tunnel.  I could see fish swimming all around just like every other tunnel.  It must be another tunnel, right?

Step.  Step.  Step.  Step.  Step.  Smack!

I was so enthralled with the fish I saw that I was oblivious to the fact that I was walking toward myself.  The fish that I saw were the fish from the previous tunnel that I had just exited.  I hit that mirror without so much as slowing down.  I’m pretty sure everyone in the aquarium that day heard me.  Who put’s an arch around a mirror anyway!?  It’s misleading.  I bet the staff at the aquarium had a camera set up taking bets on how many unsuspecting kids would unknowingly meet the same fate as I did.

“Hey John, we got another one!  That’s three so far today!  This one has a knot on his head…that counts as two!”

This story got me thinking.  Mirrors are interesting objects.  They reflect everything exactly as it is, unless you have one of those mirrors you find in a fun house that make you look like an Oompa-Loompa or a distant relative of the giraffe.  If you look directly at the mirror, you can expect to see what you look like at that moment.  My question is, what do people see when they look at you?

An athelete?  A geek?  A leader?  Someone who looks lost?  Someone wearing too much makeup?

The thing that not many people realize is that what you show on the outside has a direct relationship with what you have on the inside.  And no, I’m not talking about that Instagram-worthy cheeseburger you had for lunch.  I’m talking about what’s in your heart.  The things you surround yourself with or immerse yourself in directly impact the condition of your heart.

If you knew me at all in high school, you will know that I tried to look a certain way.  I tried to be one of the ‘cool’ kids and be liked by everyone.  I was deeply involved in sports (basketball in particular) and rap music had become my genre of choice.  The lyrics of those songs that I listened to are not something that I would recommend to others, but I claimed I wasn’t listening to rap for the lyrics anyway.  I never thought much of it, but I began remembering and memorizing the lyrics of the songs, and after a while, those lyrics began to be ingrained on my heart.  As I mentioned earlier, what you show on the outside is directly related to what’s in your heart.  I began to use certain words and phrases found in the songs, began dressing a certain way, began treating people differently than I ever thought I would.  What I had put in my heart was being mirrored on the outside.

This even shows up in scripture.

“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Basically, this verse is saying that when we are looking upon the Lord clearly, we begin to be changed into the same image.  When we surround and immerse ourself with Jesus, the very character and image of Jesus begins to show in us…we begin to mirror Him.  This is something I strive for in my life.  That when people see me, they get a glimpse into the love and grace that is freely given in Christ.

So I’ll ask this question again and I want you to really consider it.

What do people see when they look at you?

Selfies. Coffee. Resolutions.

It’s that time of the year again.  You know what I’m talking about.  The first day of the new year!  A day that’s filled with reflection of the past year, hope for the coming year, and the all important New Years Resolutions!  Starting a new year just wouldn’t seem right without having a lofty goal or two to aim for!

Being 23 years old (23 is halfway to 46…I am officially old, ugh), I have been apart of a New Year or two, and I have seen more than several people get bent out of shape when they don’t reach or keep their resolutions.  It’s as if the success of their entire year depended on their resolutions!  Some common resolutions that I’ve experienced are: going to the gym every day, losing x amount of weight by this time, getting up early every day to be more productive, read this many books during the year, etc., etc., etc.  Once they fail to keep them, the typical response is to sweep the resolution(s) under the rug and bring them back out at the start of the next year.  This happens year after year after year.  That has got to be exhausting!  Way too much sweeping for me…  I get the whole point of starting these resolutions on January 1st.  It is the first day on the calendar and gives everyone an easy way to track their progress.  It makes sense.  But other than it being the first day of the year, what makes it different than any other day of the year, or even December 31st?

I work at the FedEx hub at the Indianapolis airport with over 5,000 other employees working the third shift.  I have met many different people from all different stages of life.  One guy I work with in my area is Patrick.  He is 21 year old college student who seems to enjoy everything and everyone around him all the time, which is an especially difficult thing to do outside in the cold at 2 in the morning.  I wish I could say the same about me!  Anyway, last night at work he said something about New Years that I thought was really interesting.  I asked him if he had done anything for New Years before coming in to work.  He mentioned that he watched the ball drop like every year and took a nap prior to that, but then he went down a little rabbit trail (as he does from time to time) that was really interesting.  He said something to this effect.

“You know, Matt, my life really doesn’t feel any different starting the new year.  I mean, there really isn’t anything different in the few hours from 10 pm on December 31st to 1 am January 1st, you know?  Now if I were to look at my life 6 or 9 months from now, I might see some change, but three hours is just crazy!  There is no change at all!”

I find this interesting for several reasons.  The first is the response he gave me had almost zero to do with the question I had originally asked him (you have to be on your toes all the time when talking to Patrick, you never know when he will throw a curveball).  Secondly, I realized just how true that statement really was.  January 1st is just like every other day of the year.  Nothing is different about it when you look at the big picture.  There will (hopefully, God allowing) be a morning, afternoon and night.  You will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  You’ll have choices to make and life to enjoy.  This is the same as every other day.  There really isn’t a whole lot different on January 1st than any other day of the year.  So I would encourage you, don’t hang the entire weight of the coming year on your New Years Resolutions.  Everyday of the year could be ‘January 1st’ for you if you want!

So why do we choose January 1st to start our resolutions?  I am convinced it is because everyone likes a fresh start and the first day of the year provides a great outlet for that to happen.  Perfect.  So since I am through ranting about these resolutions, I am going to list a few of my resolutions for this year (I have more than one, so that makes me super special this year).

1. Take more selfies.  ‘Selfie’ was named the Oxford Dictionary’s word of 2013.  Seriously, it’s true.  As the proud owner of an iPhone for the past three years, I can honestly say I have taken exactly zero selfies.  Now some of you might be thinking ‘What’s the point of having an iPhone without taking selfies?’  My thoughts exactly.  You can look forward to seeing more of those across the interwebs this year!  (And see what I did with this resolution?  I left it vague and ripe for success.  I only have to take one selfie to have taken more than last year.  Score.)
2. Gain weight.   I feel like not many people have this on their list.  Mostly everyone I know who has a weight related resolution is trying to lose it.  Heck, I lose things all the time without trying, so why have a resolution with that as the end result…right?
3. Drink the last bit of coffee.  I don’t know if this is typical with a lot of coffee drinkers, but whenever I am
   enjoying a cup of the delicious steaming beverage, I never finish it.  Ever.  It doesn’t matter the size, type, or quality.  It never gets finished.  In fact, as I am typing this, there is a little bit of very cold coffee sitting at the bottom of my coffee cup from when I started writing this.  Way to start the new year off with a bang Matt…

I decided this year to have some less serious resolutions than in years past.  If you have trouble finishing your resolutions, I encourage you to take the same approach.  Leave yourself some room for success!  Although I can’t promise you won’t fail on the first day like me…

Happy New Year!

Never Forget

 

I recently came across this note I wrote to a friend who was going through a really rough patch at the time.  I re-read it and found it incredibly encouraging, I hope it is to you as well.

 

You’ve messed up…so what?  Everyone has messed up at some point.  Now you have two options: 1. You can let this event define you as a person. or 2. You can pick your head up, brush your shoulders off, and walk with the power and grace given to you by the King of Kings.

The choice is yours.  As you make your decision, here are some things you should never forget.

Cry out to Him. (Psalm 142)

God IS always and WILL always be with you. (Isaiah 41:9-10)

You are bound to fail, but don’t beat yourself up, there is something greater. (Romans 3:23-24)

You have been set free from sin’s power over you. (Romans 6:7)

You have been redeemed and forgiven, let it go. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

Always pray – there is power in prayer. (James 5:13-20)

Most importantly, praise the King on high in everything, the good and the bad. (Psalm 18)

There is hope, for Joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30)