What are you reflecting?

The White Window Mirror

       There is a lot of junk that we let filter into our lives. Our brains are overwhelmed with social media and the news. Our houses are cluttered with material things we bought and didn’t ever really like or use. Our relationships are bombarded with stereotypes and unrealistic standards. Does this sound familiar? What are we allowing to filter through us and reflect back to others?
           I have listened to a few lectures and sermons that explain how we are a product of our environment, both growing up and the one we live in now. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit”. I love that verse because it reminds us that we, as children of God, should be a reflection of the Lord’s glory he shines upon us. It also reminds us that this life is a journey and we are not born perfect. Through our lives, we will transform into a better reflection with each blessing and trial we are faced with. 

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       Personally, I do not like to clutter my house. In fact, I get really upset when it looks a bit out of place. But I found it is mostly because my brain is so cluttered that I can’t even think about straightening up the house because there are 15 other things I should be doing! So my house is usually in good shape, but my garage is a different story. As you know from this blog, I like to save ‘junk’. Old chairs, tables, knobs, mirrors, you name it and I have keep it for a project I have in mind. The problem is, I don’t get to these projects very often so the garage starts to get a little piled up after a while. 
          In July, we went into quarantine for a while because of COVID-19. Luckily, Tyler and I were both healthy and could use the time to get a few things done… one was cleaning out the garage! We stripped it, cleaned it and organized it. I finally had enough with the junk I kept around for the last three years and decided to try and sell some of it (side note: if you are ever interested in what I have, search Kate Ciccozzi in Facebook Marketplace). 
          One of the mirrors I got for free caught the interest of one of my customers, but they wanted a facelift on it. The mirror was a dated stain color but looked like a window and had cool hardware on it. The space they wanted to use it for was dark so I decided to paint it a bright white and distress the edges to give it that farmhouse look. 
          I might sound like a broken record at this point, but I just love taking something old, broken and rusty and turning it into something beautiful again. I also love doing that for other people so they can enjoy things they once loved but in a new light. God does this for us, too. In Colossians 3 verse 10, we are reminded to strip off the old, broken self, “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”.
          If you are feeling cluttered, whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically, the only way to clear the mess is to remove one piece at a time. Shake off the bad argument you feel really bad about, straighten up the back room that stuff seems to pile in, or forget about the issues at work that you can’t fix when you are with your family. The good news is that God will forgive and forget about all these things if ask him, too. Will you reflect his heart and forgive yourself and those around you who may be facing clutter in their lives? Work on reflecting God’s heart and showing compassion for yourself and those around you. 

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