Mirror, Mirror

Is seeing believing?

Today, as promised, I will share the second thought that the Lord gave me post index finger amputation in 2021

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Ready for another thought from the post-amputee?

As part of my physical therapy following my index finger amputation, I am doing something called mirror therapy. Using a folding mirror that makes a standing triangle, I place my affected hand inside this triangle so that I cannot see it. My hand rests in the shadow that the mirror forms.

Then I hold my good hand so that it faces the mirror. In the mirror, I see a reflection of my good hand, but it LOOKS like it should be my other hand. In my case, my good left hand in front of the mirror reflects as if it is a perfectly, intact right hand.

I then perform a series of exercises with my good, left hand while gazing only at the mirror. This is designed to rewire my brain to think I am actually seeing my right hand, that there is nothing wrong or missing from my right hand. It looks uninjured, it causes me no pain and it functions perfectly.

It’s a mystery to me how this works, but it does work. I don’t have to understand the mystery, just trust that it works.

Where is the spiritual application here? I think we can let the Lord rewire our brains to see what HE sees when he looks at us. To see, accept and then believe what he shows us through the lens of his mirror.

If I take my battered, imperfect, sinful self and hide it in the shadow of the cross, how does the Lord see me?

Forgiven, without defect, whole.

“As far as the East is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:12 (esv)

The mirror now reflects the new you, as you are in Christ. If you gaze on that reflection through Christ’s eyes, you will no longer see the imperfect old you. Instead, you will see the new creature that you are in Him. Useful, perfect, forgiven, shining with the beauty of his reflected life.

Don’t go looking to see what lies in the shadow. The blood of Jesus has cleansed you. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. Accept the new you that He sees. Live for his glory and reflect Him, day by day to a world that desperately to know the Lord Jesus as Savior.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (esv)

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part': then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” I Corinthians 13:12 (esv)