Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Am I allowed to say whatever any female who has made it past the age of 25 and every mother of a teenage girl knows? It’s hard to be a teenage girl. Friendships are tough. Girl drama is real. Insecurity abounds in the most obvious and most unsuspecting places.I wouldn’t want to go back and relive my teen years. I have many good memories, but I’ll take the stability and maturity of adult friendships any day over the temperamental, hormonal, always-jockeying dynamics that can be found before the frontal lobe is fully developed and hormones have hit their own stride. Lots of things change from generation to generation, but human behavior is not one of them.[bctt tweet="Lots of things change from generation to generation, but human behavior is not one of them."]I’ve just completed praying for 12 of your sons and daughters who are freshmen in either high school or college. Having both a teenage son and daughter myself, I must say that there are temptations and dangers for both as they transition to new environments. Girls, however, seem to have a little tougher journey in finding community than their male counterparts. We often laugh at the dinner table over how my son’s friends respond to conflict versus Annika’s. The differences are astounding.A recent conversation with my daughter reminded me of a truth that bears repeating for adult women just as much as teenagers. In asking Annika about a new friendship recently, Annika made the observation, “I like her when she’s one-on-one with me, but I find that when she’s with others, she becomes like a mirror. She reflects back whatever the other person projects. She’s rarely true to herself.”Hmmm. The idea put such a visual picture in my mind. I see woman after woman walking around with each of us tempted to hold a mirror up to the other. We try to reflect our perception of what the other woman values. Not just a mask… though we are queens of those, too. Instead, we try to imitate, hoping for a sense of affirmation and acceptance.Can I encourage young and old alike? We’ll never be at peace if we’re not true to ourselves. Often, we look at our weaknesses and become obsessed with covering them up so no one knows. Instead, what if we embrace who we are and trust the Lord to lead us to the friendships and relationships that will allow those strengths to blossom? Quirky? Serious? Odd? Academic? Jovial? Flighty? God didn’t make a mistake when He created a palette of beautiful personalities.[bctt tweet="God didn’t make a mistake when He created a palette of beautiful personalities."]When we interact with others, there should be a reflection. The reflection, however, should be one of the warmth and love that we have because we know whose we are. We’re passing on the love He’s poured into us.You’re incredible just as you are. Don’t waste your time trying to be anything less than exactly who you were made to be.