The Man In the Mirror



Posted: Friday, September 30, 2011

by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian

Like most American men, my daily ritual includes bathing and shaving. The shaving always takes place before my bathroom mirror. On occasion, I take a second look at the fellow staring back at me. He seems a bit older, a bit heavier, a bit balder than I remembered.

Inside, I feel about like I did 30 or even 40 years ago. But a glance at a picture from that era, reminds me that the man on the outside has changed. Everything still works, but I move a little slower than back then. When I first get out of bed, it takes a little longer to get loosened up and in full motion. There are a few aches and pains that slipped in somewhere along the way. When a birthday rolls around I am reminded of just how many chronological years I have used up and the dwindling number I have left to enjoy.

Sometime when I see that fellow in the mirror, my mind races back to events and people from the past. I wonder if they are still with us? If they have survived, in what condition are they? What have they done with their lives? Do they ever remember me? Would we recognize each other if we passed on the street? Great memories from the past tend to warm the heart and prompt a smile.

That fellow in the glass has had a wonderful and exciting life. There is the lovely wife, the four fine daughters, the grandchildren. There is rewarding career as a minister of the gospel. There were the exciting trips to foreign nations as I worked with missionaries around the world. There were the hundreds, even thousands of wonderful people I have known; folks who have enriched my life. Along the way the man in the glass committed his life to God and resolved to follow Jesus. That was a major turning point in his life. The benefits are still accumulating. I suspect that decision had something to do with the way the man in the glass looks today.

Back in 1934 Peter Dale Winbrow, Sr. Wrote a remarkable poem that seems a perfect conclusion for this brief reflection. It is called,

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 you father or mother or wife,

Whose judgement upon you must pass.

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life,

Is the one staring back from the glass!

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum

And think you’re 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 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 years,

And get pats on the back as you pass.

But your final reward will be heartache and tears,

If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
John Waddey is a native of Nashville, TN. He is in his 54th year as a minister of the Church of Christ. Presently he serves the West Bell Church of Christ in Sun City West, AZ. His ministerial work has taken him to 22 foreign nations. Writing has always been an important part of his work. He is the author of 54 volumes. He has served as the editor of the Star Bible magazine and the Christian Bible Teacher magazine. Currently, he writes a weekly newspaper column and edits a monthly journal called Christianity: Then & Now. He also maintains Bible teaching websites at www.firstcenturychristian.com. His latest book, "Testimony of the Twelve Minor Prophets" is now at the printers.

In the Mirror.
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