“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Throughout grade school I think this was every teacher’s favorite writing assignment.
Hmm, let’s see… maybe an artist, a teacher, a wife, a detective, a writer. I’m pretty sure there was an essay written for each of these occupations. But, the thing I most wanted to be never made it to any of my essays.
Perhaps I kept this unspoken desire safely tucked away because I didn’t want to be laughed out of the classroom. Maybe it was because I didn’t have the vocabulary to express it. It was most certainly those things, but I also knew that there was no rushing this vocation. Only the hands of time would bring this secret longing to pass.
I’m pretty sure the desire to be a godly old lady started with my grandmother’s influence, but as time marched on, the Lord added to the list. Some pursued me, and others I pursued. Some I never met, but they showed up to teach me through the radio and various Bible and book studies. Each one reflected God’s beauty in such a unique way that it fueled my desire to emulate what I saw.
The following are a few things on a long list of what was modeled for me...
Being a spectator is fine, if all you ever plan to do is watch those running the race. But, no one ever crosses the finish line as an observer. At some point, you have to lace up those running shoes and jump into the race.
Am I willing to run like a turtle in what appears to be a hare race? Am I willing to fall down, take wrong turns, and endure all kinds of weather to cross the finish line?
Interestingly enough, after doing that “surrender your life to Christ” thing, I was surprised to learn that my encounter with Him had infused within me with a supernatural Helper who gave me abilities I was not born with.
It’s this Helper who lightens the weight of a turtle’s shell, and strengthens her weak resolve so that she doesn’t cower away inside when she becomes afraid. This Helper picks her up when she falls down, and cheers her to the finish line. And best yet, He put springs in her chubby, short legs. Have you ever seen a turtle hurdle? Makes for a bad hare day.
A person who exemplifies borderless bravery is someone with “chutzpah.” Considered audaciously rude by some, this person refuses to let what others think deter them from reaching their goal. They are determined and persistent, and they refuse to give up when they fix their eyes on the mark.
Two biblical examples stand out.
First: The leper who violates social protocol, and approaches Jesus for healing (Mark 1:40-45). Considered “unclean” by Jewish law, this man was an outcast, relegated to a life of isolation. He must have been hearing about this Healer, because it ignited desperation within him. This leper displayed unyielding chutzpah when he dared to show himself in public, risking everything to gain an audience with the Messiah.
Second: The lady who had the audacity to reach up and grab Jesus by the hem of His garment (Mark 5:25-34). Considered unclean, she too was sentenced to an isolated life. It was against the law for her to have any human contact whatsoever. Imagine 12 years of being with your family, but not being allowed to touch any of them. What kind of heartache would you experience if you couldn’t hug your husband, comb your daughter’s hair, or help your son get dressed?
She too must have heard of the Man who was performing miracles everywhere He went. It was a criminal act, but this woman was desperate. Concealed, she methodically made her way through the crowd, and when she was close enough she reached out and made the first human contact she had made in over a decade. The untouchable risked everything to touch the only One who could change her life.
Each of these encounters resulted in life-altering transformations, but none of it would have been possible if they weren’t willing to risk everything to get to Jesus.
Who remembers what it’s like to stand in front of those funhouse mirrors at the state fair? The horizontally convex ones make you look taller, while the vertically convex ones make you look shorter. None of these mirrors is an accurate representation of your appearance, but if they were the only mirrors you ever looked into, your mind would convince you to believe what you see.
What would happen, though, if Someone were to come along and expose the distortion? What if they replaced the mirror with one that reflected an accurate representation? Our thinking would change, and we all know that when our thinking changes, so do we.
“Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor.3:16-18 NKJV)
Mary Madeline personifies this passage beautifully.
Satan had been successful in warping Mary’s identity. As a result of gazing into his mirror for so long, she believed and was enslaved by the distorted image she saw reflected in his lies. After Christ delivered her from the demonic spirits she was transformed, and free to live a new life in Him.
I’m drawn to Mary’s proclamation to the disciples, after she encounters the risen Christ... “I have seen the Lord!” (Jn.20:18) As a result, she will forever behold the One she was created to reflect.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who’s the fairest of them all?”
If your reflection does not resemble the risen Christ, then the enemy of your soul has stolen the Image you were saved to see.
Smash his mirror! If you peer into his distortion long enough you will become what you behold.
Let the word of God be your mirror. That way you will always reflect the Image of Beauty - the Fairest of them all.
I’m ready to write that essay now.
Although I still want to be a godly old woman, my eyes are fixed on a greater goal.
Like Mary, “I have seen Jesus!” and He is what I want to be when I grow up.
