Mirrors are funny things, aren't they? I love being able to check my hair, ensure my clothing matches, or make sure those sneaky morsels of food are removed from between my teeth. But mirrors can also play a much more powerful role in our lives. Although they never speak a word, mirrors have the ability to affirm what we believe about ourselves. If you have a healthy confidence, the mirror will show that. If you believe you are ugly or lacking, the reflection will also affirm that message.
Mirrors simply reflect. It is we who give definition to what the reflection shows. So what do you believe about what you see?
Believe it or not, we at Pioneering with Passion Ministries (PPM) ask this question often. It seems a bit strange as our teams travel through remote jungle regions covered in dust and sweat, offering our hands and hearts to deeply impoverished refugee villages. It's about as far from the pages of a beauty magazine as you can get. And yet even there, the message of beauty and worth is so very powerful.
The war refugees we encounter have come to the very end of themselves. Everything they have ever known and all of their worth has been stripped away. Life is reduced to basic survival. Yes, it's important to offer aid and survival resources to these refugees, but something else is also needed.
A few years back, one of our team members had an interesting encounter that sparked a ministry opportunity we have since replicated over and over again. While playing with a group of refugee children, the team member removed a small makeup mirror from her pocket to show the kids. One by one, the children passed around the small tool, mesmerized by what the mirror revealed. After some quick questions with refugee parents, we realized many of the kids were seeing their reflections clearly for the first time. What is a common daily practice for us was an experience of revelation for the young lives.
What would it be like for you to see your reflection for the first time? What sense of awe would you experience seeing the form of your nose, the color of your eyes, the way your teeth craft your unique smile? Would you be pleasantly surprised or horribly disappointed? What if somebody first defined that reflection for you? Would that change the way you perceive yourself?
We knew the mirror experience was a holy moment for the refugee children, an opportunity for the God of the universe to invade the ordinary and shine light into the darkness. Now, as often as possible when ministry teams enter a new refugee camp, we include a small collection of hand mirrors with our relief aid. The refugees will gather with us for a time of teaching where we will talk about their unique design by a loving Creator, how He fearfully and wonderfully created each of them, and how He believes they are beautiful. Those defining words set the tone for our gift of the mirrors to each person present. As they receive the gift, they have a filter of beauty through which to define their reflection. Children who see themselves for the first time in the small gift are seeing beauty. It's remarkable to watch the smiles and laughter that flow out of this special time.
Many refugees have continued to come back to our times of discipleship to develop their relationship with Jesus because from the very beginning He has called them beautiful. These moments stand in stark contrast to the life of war and conflict they have known. Hundreds have given their lives to Jesus because, for the first time since they can remember, they have been offered worth.
Friends, if I may be so bold, I believe there is a lesson in the refugees’ response for all of us. What if you let the Heavenly Father be the One who first gets to define what your reflection shows you? Yes, He believes you are beautiful. You are perfectly made and your value is beyond measure. What if you actually believe those words? What would your mirror show you then?
Thank you for being part of this grassroots effort to bring aid and value to extreme loss refugees. We are so grateful to have you part of our community. Through your amazing gifts, these messages reach those in great need. Interested in continuing to send a message of love? Here are some great ways to get involved today:
