Mirror, Mirror

Yesterday, I had a moment when I looked at myself through the eyes of the world. Wow, that was a downer.

Modern culture places women my age in commercials for hair color, anti-aging creams and Depends. I saw myself as the modern culture defines me; a wrinkling, greying, middle-aged woman that cannot fit into her last year's jeans, a tratior to women that gave up an executive career to stay at home and raise children....and on top of all of that, I live in the Northern portion of a fly-over state in the Midwest. To put it simply, I suddenly felt insignificant. Insignificant, uninteresting, and unfathomably boring.
But then I read my bible. (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7 and John 12)
I read about the woman who had poured perfume over Jesus at the house of Simon mere days before he was crucified. The disciples were ticked off at her for wasting the perfume which could have been sold for money to feed the poor. Jesus rebuked them (chewed them out). He told them that they would have the poor to deal with after he was gone and that the woman was spot on regarding her intent toward him. Jesus stated that she understood the significance of his impending sacrifice and he told the disciples that she was preparing him for his death. Furthermore, Jesus directed them to never forget about her or her actions, her understanding, and that she was to be mentioned in all of the gospels.
She is significant to Jesus in spite of what the rest of the immediate world thinks of this woman.
I am significant to Jesus.
I have been significant to Him since my first cell joined cell experience! Not significant by any of my actions, but by the fact that I understand the significance of what Jesus has done for me. His choice to die for my sin signifies that I mean everything to Him. When we turn to the world for our significance, we will never feel the love that God has for us. God's love cannot be measured by the opinion of advertisers, the neighbor, the ladies at kid pick-up, the media, the movies, other teenagers, or politicians. You are NOT what the world tells you that you are. You are NOT just a kid, just a mom, just an employee, too young, too old, just a person trying to move through the day.
I am so loved and so are you by the one that matters the most, our God. Look in the mirror today and say to your face (whatever that face may look like back at you!) the following:
"I matter, someone died for me, I am significant to God."
And that my friends, is all that is truly significant and wonderful about each of us!