Reflection

I recently beheld a beautiful woman during one of my dreams. She had glowing porcelain white skin, high cheekbones with rosy cheeks, and a square jaw with a pointed chin. I saw her face with floods of white light all around her. The type of natural lighting that cast no shadows; the perfect lighting every photographer dreams of.

She looked oddly familiar, but I couldn’t make out who she was. At first, I thought it might be my daughter Esther at around age 16, but this wasn’t Esther. My instinct was to protect this girl. I remembered saying that she’ll need lots of sunscreens and a hat when she goes outside; those delicate features would burn in the sun.

When I couldn’t figure out who she was, I analyzed the space surrounding her. It was a nothingness space. I’ve seen it once before, and the last time I occupied this white space was when my adult self met my child self in the presence of God. Here is the post I wrote about that experience.

As I recall her face in my mind over and over again, I’m beginning to realize she was me. The high cheekbones and the chin made me feel I was looking into a mirror. But how can it be me? She was breathtaking. I’ve never laid eyes on anyone as beautiful live, on TV, in a magazine, or in a painting.

I have a hard time reconciling that I could be breathtaking to behold. Writing this makes me cringe. I once told a friend that she looked breathtaking during one of our video calls, and she also started. Why do we have the same reaction about ourselves? I see beauty because I love what is beautiful. My friend was magnificent to behold because I love her. God made us in His image. Then it would be only fitting that the reflection derived from God is breathtaking to behold. God loves us and sees us as beautiful. How can we recognize God’s beauty if we can’t see it in His creations, starting first with ourselves? I don’t mean merely our physical image, but our souls, minds, and gifts. All of this came from God for His purpose and is a reflection of Himself.

Image: Vermeer, Johannas. Girl With a Pearl Earring. 1665. Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands.