I am but a momentary reflection of the Creator.
I was walking back from dropping my daughter off at school this morning and it caught my eye. This reflection in the water that had accumulated from one of our very infrequent rains here in the desert. The large ponderosa pine tree that sits in our front yard completely out of place among the palm trees and next to the saguaro cactus, reflecting along with the beautiful billowy clouds, the neighbor's overgrown mesquite tree.
As I thought about what I saw more, I noticed the water. It was filthy. Oil scum, dirt and who knows what else made the water mucky and brown. But not in the reflection. The water is not clean, but there is no way to see the dirt underneath the reflection. The water is not deep, but it shows depth of beauty. And in a few hours it will be gone. As fleeting as life.
Myself as Reflection
And what am I but a puddle reflection? A reflection of the attributes of the Divine. Even all of the dirt underneath cannot displace the image of the Creator. He sees the beauty, fully knowing all of the dirt underneath, and calls me his beloved.
His reflection is in each child, woman and man. Each person a completely different reflection of him. And he calls them beloved. When I see others, do I see him?
Questions to Ask
What attributes of the Creator are reflected in me?
What do I see in myself that is beautiful, good and true?
Thinking about my reflection, what is the purpose I have been created for?
Am I able to see the Divine in others?