Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born. (Genesis 16:13-16 NLT)

As a mom of two preschoolers and a baby, I felt invisible. No, I wasn’t the Disappearing Woman. It’s just that the creative, witty, fun-to-hang-out-with woman was hidden under my baby-food-stained T-shirt and baggy sweats. I still had a reflection in the mirror, but the woman who picked up scattered toys and washed peanut-butter fingers was unrecognizable. Unlike Hagar, I wasn’t in a desert, but there were times my sense of worth felt parched. Just like God showed up in Hagar’s time of need, He showed up in my life too. In a time when I felt unseen, God reminded me I was in His sights.

The angel of God found Hagar beside a spring in a desert, and God also led me to a spring of life: Jesus Christ. And through another story about a second woman at a spring—also unseen and unloved—God reaffirmed the only thing that could water my parched soul.

 “Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.’” John 4:13-14

There are seasons in life when it seems no one understands or cares. Is the person in the mirror unrecognizable? Do you feel like no one is paying attention to you? That no one sees your needs or cares about the worries on your heart? It’s during those times Jesus sees us and He gives us what we need most: Himself.

Challenge: Look in the mirror and write down what you see. When your list is complete, offer up your paper to Jesus and ask Him to fill you with Himself. Consider your reflection through Jesus’ eyes.