Written by: Teresa Criswell
Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Definition of Mirror:
1: A polished or smooth surface
(As of glass) that forms images by reflection
2: A true representation.
“For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].”
I Corinthians 13:12 (Amp.)
I was enamored by the luxurious golden room filled with purity; draped with elegance and beauty.
I secretly watched with delightful awe as this beautiful girl gazed across the room into her beautifully adorned mirror. She ran closer to the mirror with whimsical grace; seeing herself with amazement as the mirror revealed such magnificent beauty!
Awestruck, she gazed into the mirror at her beautiful almond shaped eyes. Her long lashes framing her beautiful piercing, brown eyes; they fluttered gracefully as a butterfly. Stepping back with her fingers on her lips, she tilted her head to the side as if she heard a whisper. She smiled with assurance, and sighed with contentment, knowing who she was. She gracefully closed her eyes as if she could hear the whisper in her ear which spoke of dreams of romance.
The whisper led her in a dance around the room; her dress spread open like a beautiful bell. The dress so perfectly twirled around her as it suspended in the air. Her arms spread open, as her head tilted back; her long hair effortlessly tossed about as she freely danced to a song that I could not hear ~ only her ears could hear what seemed to be a beautiful melody. I found myself watching with envy, as she danced to a song ~ it would seem to be a song that had never graced our ears on earth, this song; only heard in heaven.
She danced so beautifully, an expression of her spirit that took flight as a soaring eagle. I was amazed by her knowing of who she was! She beheld the beauty of God and in seeing this, she was pleased.
I was so taken by the way she stared into the mirror. It was as though she could hear the distinct loving voice of her Father God. The music must have been the symphony of freedom. As I continued to watch in awe, it would seem that she could hear her Daddy accompanying the ‘symphony of freedom’ with His lyrics of beauty.
I realized with great astonishment that this little girl I secretly watched was none other than ~ me. I stood in disarray. I felt as if the ground and my body became one as I began to weep. I asked with a crying scream in disbelief, “Where did I go?” “What happened?”
Upon regaining my composure, I let out a cry of desperation. I found myself screaming for her and the only thing I could do was shout over and over with all that was within me, “Come back!” Yet it seemed my shouting only pushed her further away.
Suddenly! I awoke from what seemed like reality, gasping for air, I finally regained my breath.
Upon this awakening, I pondered the thought of being a child. It moved me as I realized many children seem to perceive the world through the eyes of purity. I must say that the reminiscing thought of being a small child was beyond an awakening, it was overflowing amazement.
The beautiful girl that I watched with envy was truly blessed by her Father God. She saw the world she lived in with the eyes of a pure heart; the indescribable yearning and God given desire, to be free, loving, and to just be ~ His daughter and princess. She possessed a pure, loving heart that wanted to help every hurting person, every creature great and small. It was as though she lived her life looking into His mirror of beauty.
As she danced watching her reflection in the mirror; I could see her imaginations of herself dancing with the most handsome prince. Her dance revealed that without a doubt or question she was the most beautiful princess in all the land.
I then asked myself, “How did she come to this compelling realization that she was beautiful?” That is when I was lovingly reminded of the beautiful scripture in Psalm 139:14, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.” I ponder yet again; we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Her display of gratitude and the graceful dance unto God revealed how God so beautifully placed this into our spirit. Daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, friend…you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I realized with joy, that in the life of our once three year-old daughter, Tristin was absolutely in awe of herself. Tristin was mesmerized by who she was. She looked into any mirror with confidence. It was as though I could see through those eyes of purity that she dreamed gigantic dreams. I remember when she would look into the mirror; or I should say, any mirror, she would turn her head slightly, placing her little hands on her hips and then naturally posing. She looked up at me with a serious grin on her face as her beautiful eyes pierced mine, wistfully asking in her small, yet high pitch voice, “What you think, Mom?” We giggled with each other and I had the opportunity to tell her that she was and still is the most beautiful little princess in the whole world.
Naturally she looked up at me with her big, beautiful, brown eyes and said, “Thank you!” She said it with absolute assuredness. Most of all, she was glad that Mom agreed with what she already thought so confidently about herself.
As I drifted back to sleep the same girl was before me in my dream. She was enchanted by this amazing, loving voice. As I looked a little closer I realized, as tears streamed down my face, that as she looked into the beautifully adorned mirror, she was beholding The Eyes of her loving Father God and saw herself the way He saw her ~ with His grace and His beauty.
In an instant, faster than a suddenly moment, I saw something that did not make sense, yet I could not deny what I saw, for it was right before me. There it was; a dark cloud moving in towards and over her. It was moving fast into the room as it finally hovered over her. The cloud produced what would seem to be raindrops, yet, when I leaned into hear the rain fall, what I heard shocked me. I realized the rain fall was disguised with actual voices of the enemy influencing the world, repetitively chanting in an evil whisper, “You are not worthy.” “You are ugly.” “You have no beauty.” “You are not important.” “Shut Up! You have no voice.”
I shouted at the voices, closing my ears not being able to bear one more voice of “death” spoken over her. I watched her as I prayed with great anticipation that she would ignore the deceptive voices. I had not yet seen her so scared until this very moment. She covered her head, shrinking into a position of helplessness.
To my dismay, this is when the unimaginable happened; she took her eyes off the beautifully adorned mirror and as though she was under a ‘spell’, her eyes looked different, her beautiful smile ~ vanished. I grabbed hold of the floor as my nails clenched the ground, gritting my teeth in utter disgust and anger screaming, “They are lying to you! Don’t listen to them! Look into the mirror!”
The voice that was so familiar, the voice of her Daddy, she felt overwhelmed and no longer looking into the mirror of beauty, she could no longer hear Him. As I watched in disbelief, the repetitive voices took over. She walked in unison and to the rhythm of the voices. She unknowingly walked over to the covered, uninviting object; so cold and overwhelmingly possessing utter depression.
She seemed to be in a trance and the eerie, evil voices subtly transformed from a whisper to a faint shout, as I heard, “Uncover it, uncover it…” Her hand slowly reached for the torn, aged fabric; old and tattered. The texture of the fabric was rough and heavy, somewhat comparable to an old, rough potato bag material. I could tell that the fabric had been used many times over. I pled with her, “Please! Listen and follow the voice of your Father God!”
Simultaneously as I pled with her, she slowly reached out her hand and uncovered the object. No! O God, No! What I saw was horrific! The girl that once danced to the song of beauty was now still. She was still with shock, looking into a glass object. This object looked like a mirror, but it was not. Her image, her reflection was distorted. She was so beautiful, yet the glass object revealed no beauty, the revealing object stripped her of what she truly was. She was looking into none other than the object of deception. The object was meant to kill her innocence, steal her purity and destroy her knowing of who she was.
When I saw her image all I could see was what she saw, and that was a girl who was battered, and full of despair. The evidence of life had been stripped from her eyes. The beautiful dress that she had been wearing was now violently replaced with torn and filthy rags.
Not only were my senses of what I saw overwhelming, but now the smell. The only thing I could compare the smell to is the smell of decay, revealing overwhelming sadness. The image was so familiar and then it ‘hit’ me; this is when I believed the lie, versus continuing to believe the truth. To actually see at that very moment the devices and weapons of the enemy was utterly devastating.
Does this scene sound familiar? Is this you? Are you gripping your heart as it aches for this girl who has been deceived? Are you feeling a righteous indignation rise up within you as you realize that the beautifully adorned mirror, were as the loving eyes of God being rejected as she chose to see through the lies of the enemy. She chose the enemy’s lie of bondage over the Truth of Freedom from her Father.
The mirror waits patiently for you to see what God sees. Are you looking into the loving eyes of God, or are you looking into the eyes of the enemy?
Awake, my sister! Awake! Hear the voice of your Father God!
“Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you - rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!”
~ Isaiah 60:1, AMP ~
(As of glass) that forms images by reflection
2: A true representation.
“For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].”
I Corinthians 13:12 (Amp.)
I was enamored by the luxurious golden room filled with purity; draped with elegance and beauty.
I secretly watched with delightful awe as this beautiful girl gazed across the room into her beautifully adorned mirror. She ran closer to the mirror with whimsical grace; seeing herself with amazement as the mirror revealed such magnificent beauty!
Awestruck, she gazed into the mirror at her beautiful almond shaped eyes. Her long lashes framing her beautiful piercing, brown eyes; they fluttered gracefully as a butterfly. Stepping back with her fingers on her lips, she tilted her head to the side as if she heard a whisper. She smiled with assurance, and sighed with contentment, knowing who she was. She gracefully closed her eyes as if she could hear the whisper in her ear which spoke of dreams of romance.
The whisper led her in a dance around the room; her dress spread open like a beautiful bell. The dress so perfectly twirled around her as it suspended in the air. Her arms spread open, as her head tilted back; her long hair effortlessly tossed about as she freely danced to a song that I could not hear ~ only her ears could hear what seemed to be a beautiful melody. I found myself watching with envy, as she danced to a song ~ it would seem to be a song that had never graced our ears on earth, this song; only heard in heaven.
She danced so beautifully, an expression of her spirit that took flight as a soaring eagle. I was amazed by her knowing of who she was! She beheld the beauty of God and in seeing this, she was pleased.
I was so taken by the way she stared into the mirror. It was as though she could hear the distinct loving voice of her Father God. The music must have been the symphony of freedom. As I continued to watch in awe, it would seem that she could hear her Daddy accompanying the ‘symphony of freedom’ with His lyrics of beauty.
I realized with great astonishment that this little girl I secretly watched was none other than ~ me. I stood in disarray. I felt as if the ground and my body became one as I began to weep. I asked with a crying scream in disbelief, “Where did I go?” “What happened?”
Upon regaining my composure, I let out a cry of desperation. I found myself screaming for her and the only thing I could do was shout over and over with all that was within me, “Come back!” Yet it seemed my shouting only pushed her further away.
Suddenly! I awoke from what seemed like reality, gasping for air, I finally regained my breath.
Upon this awakening, I pondered the thought of being a child. It moved me as I realized many children seem to perceive the world through the eyes of purity. I must say that the reminiscing thought of being a small child was beyond an awakening, it was overflowing amazement.
The beautiful girl that I watched with envy was truly blessed by her Father God. She saw the world she lived in with the eyes of a pure heart; the indescribable yearning and God given desire, to be free, loving, and to just be ~ His daughter and princess. She possessed a pure, loving heart that wanted to help every hurting person, every creature great and small. It was as though she lived her life looking into His mirror of beauty.
As she danced watching her reflection in the mirror; I could see her imaginations of herself dancing with the most handsome prince. Her dance revealed that without a doubt or question she was the most beautiful princess in all the land.
I then asked myself, “How did she come to this compelling realization that she was beautiful?” That is when I was lovingly reminded of the beautiful scripture in Psalm 139:14, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.” I ponder yet again; we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Her display of gratitude and the graceful dance unto God revealed how God so beautifully placed this into our spirit. Daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, friend…you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I realized with joy, that in the life of our once three year-old daughter, Tristin was absolutely in awe of herself. Tristin was mesmerized by who she was. She looked into any mirror with confidence. It was as though I could see through those eyes of purity that she dreamed gigantic dreams. I remember when she would look into the mirror; or I should say, any mirror, she would turn her head slightly, placing her little hands on her hips and then naturally posing. She looked up at me with a serious grin on her face as her beautiful eyes pierced mine, wistfully asking in her small, yet high pitch voice, “What you think, Mom?” We giggled with each other and I had the opportunity to tell her that she was and still is the most beautiful little princess in the whole world.
Naturally she looked up at me with her big, beautiful, brown eyes and said, “Thank you!” She said it with absolute assuredness. Most of all, she was glad that Mom agreed with what she already thought so confidently about herself.
As I drifted back to sleep the same girl was before me in my dream. She was enchanted by this amazing, loving voice. As I looked a little closer I realized, as tears streamed down my face, that as she looked into the beautifully adorned mirror, she was beholding The Eyes of her loving Father God and saw herself the way He saw her ~ with His grace and His beauty.
In an instant, faster than a suddenly moment, I saw something that did not make sense, yet I could not deny what I saw, for it was right before me. There it was; a dark cloud moving in towards and over her. It was moving fast into the room as it finally hovered over her. The cloud produced what would seem to be raindrops, yet, when I leaned into hear the rain fall, what I heard shocked me. I realized the rain fall was disguised with actual voices of the enemy influencing the world, repetitively chanting in an evil whisper, “You are not worthy.” “You are ugly.” “You have no beauty.” “You are not important.” “Shut Up! You have no voice.”
I shouted at the voices, closing my ears not being able to bear one more voice of “death” spoken over her. I watched her as I prayed with great anticipation that she would ignore the deceptive voices. I had not yet seen her so scared until this very moment. She covered her head, shrinking into a position of helplessness.
To my dismay, this is when the unimaginable happened; she took her eyes off the beautifully adorned mirror and as though she was under a ‘spell’, her eyes looked different, her beautiful smile ~ vanished. I grabbed hold of the floor as my nails clenched the ground, gritting my teeth in utter disgust and anger screaming, “They are lying to you! Don’t listen to them! Look into the mirror!”
The voice that was so familiar, the voice of her Daddy, she felt overwhelmed and no longer looking into the mirror of beauty, she could no longer hear Him. As I watched in disbelief, the repetitive voices took over. She walked in unison and to the rhythm of the voices. She unknowingly walked over to the covered, uninviting object; so cold and overwhelmingly possessing utter depression.
She seemed to be in a trance and the eerie, evil voices subtly transformed from a whisper to a faint shout, as I heard, “Uncover it, uncover it…” Her hand slowly reached for the torn, aged fabric; old and tattered. The texture of the fabric was rough and heavy, somewhat comparable to an old, rough potato bag material. I could tell that the fabric had been used many times over. I pled with her, “Please! Listen and follow the voice of your Father God!”
Simultaneously as I pled with her, she slowly reached out her hand and uncovered the object. No! O God, No! What I saw was horrific! The girl that once danced to the song of beauty was now still. She was still with shock, looking into a glass object. This object looked like a mirror, but it was not. Her image, her reflection was distorted. She was so beautiful, yet the glass object revealed no beauty, the revealing object stripped her of what she truly was. She was looking into none other than the object of deception. The object was meant to kill her innocence, steal her purity and destroy her knowing of who she was.
When I saw her image all I could see was what she saw, and that was a girl who was battered, and full of despair. The evidence of life had been stripped from her eyes. The beautiful dress that she had been wearing was now violently replaced with torn and filthy rags.
Not only were my senses of what I saw overwhelming, but now the smell. The only thing I could compare the smell to is the smell of decay, revealing overwhelming sadness. The image was so familiar and then it ‘hit’ me; this is when I believed the lie, versus continuing to believe the truth. To actually see at that very moment the devices and weapons of the enemy was utterly devastating.
Does this scene sound familiar? Is this you? Are you gripping your heart as it aches for this girl who has been deceived? Are you feeling a righteous indignation rise up within you as you realize that the beautifully adorned mirror, were as the loving eyes of God being rejected as she chose to see through the lies of the enemy. She chose the enemy’s lie of bondage over the Truth of Freedom from her Father.
The mirror waits patiently for you to see what God sees. Are you looking into the loving eyes of God, or are you looking into the eyes of the enemy?
Awake, my sister! Awake! Hear the voice of your Father God!
“Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you - rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!”
~ Isaiah 60:1, AMP ~
So beautiful, Teresa! I can't wait to read your book! Love the new look here, and especially the vital message for God's daughters. Love you!
ReplyDeleteDebbie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming by to visit and see what the Lord has placed upon my heart. His call to His daughters is to awaken and arise, basking,sitting, standing,walking and running after Him. We must find out a glimpse of Who He is, so that we may know who we are in Jesus!
Love you!
Great first chapter! :) How exciting! :)
ReplyDeleteTeresa, this is such a beautiful depiction of what happens to us as the enemy sets out on his agenda to steal our hearts and souls away from God. This is all of us...female and male.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I used to say "I just want to be that little girl I used to be...the one with a pure heart."
The good news, as you pointed out so eloquently here is that we can be...in fact we must be! If we turn our heads back to the real reflection of glory instead of that distorted image that the enemy wants to deceive us with. All our baggage can be laid at the Lord's feet for Him to carry and heal!!!
You are beautiful! I love that He has gifted you with such a ministry to speak of His grace in such a creative, yet true manner! He will bless many through your book. I can't wait to read it in it's entirety! Blessings to you!
((BIG HUG))