The Man or Woman in the Glass

Yesterday at church one of the speakers shared this poem and it has had me thinking about a lot of things ever since. I thought it worth sharing. THE MAN IN THE GLASS When you get what you want in your struggle for self And the world makes you king for a day, Just go to the mirror and look at yourself And see what that man has to say. For it isn't your father or mother or wife Who’s judgment upon you must pass; The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one staring back from the glass. Some people may think your a straight-shootin' chum And call you a wonderful guy, But the man in the glass says you're only a bum If you can't look him straight in the eye. He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest, For he's with you clear up to the end. And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life And get pats on your back as you pass. But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you've cheated the man in the glass I feel like sometimes I do cheat that person in the glass. I worry more about what others think of me rather than what I think of myself. I have had experiences in my life when horrible things have been said about me and to me. I know we all have. I have had to take a long hard look at who I am, my behavior, who I believe myself to be, and if that comes across to how others see me. My heart has scars on it, deep ones, and every once in awhile I hear the voices of those who left those scars telling me I am not good enough, not worth it, or I am a bad person. That I deserve to be alone and no one could ever love me. Those words have crippled me emotionally in a lot of ways and for a long time I believed those voices. Sometimes I still do. It is so much easier for me to believe the negative things rather than the positive about myself. But in the end, like the poem says. I can't cheat the woman in the glass. I can't hide who I really am and my behavior from her. I can't pretend to be anything that I am not. I am who I am and though not perfect, I can be happy with the person in the glass. She is someone who is learning from her mistakes and trying to be a better person. I have to learn to call her friend and accept myself, flaws and all, and realize that everyone deserves to be loved. First by ourselves and then by God. "The Lord Looketh on the Heart". He know my intentions despite my many mistakes. He knows me and what I can become if I put my trust in him. He believes in me and because of that I am beginning to believe the positive things more when I look at that woman in the glass.