The Bathroom Mirror

 The Bathroom Mirror

(“His miracles are unforgettable. The Lord is kind and merciful.” Psalm 111:4)

He stared into the bathroom mirror,
the one with 1970s décor,
the basin was avocado, mirror framed in
wood masquerading as bronze, with even the hint
of varnish turned green.
He had looked every day for nearly seventy years,
20,000 times in his life the image appeared behind the
mist he had just toweled away after shaving and a
shower.
The hair was whiter, the face fuller, the eyes bore more
sadness than he desired. And, reversed as it was,
he rarely saw
himself as others did,
and negated their compliments when offered.

But, one Thursday morning, waking late, he opened the
bathroom door, put the dot of toothpaste on his electrical brush,
and ran it over teeth more rugged than he remembered. He rarely
used the mirror for
dental hygiene.

He took the shaving cream, a can of green and white circles,
and put a dollop in his hand. (40 years ago he filled his palm with
a snowcone of cream. It only created a beard of tiny bubbles.)
He learned the tiny amount was sufficient and massaged it into
his warm cheeks and chin and neck. He took the razor, now
five blades. He wondered, if he lived another 70 years, would he
heft a shaver with an even dozen cutting surfaces. And laughed
within. Applying the razor to his left cheek he checked the mirror

And his hand refused to move.

It had not been like that yesterday. He had never noticed it before.
Today, glancing at his image, the mirror was cracked, deep cracks,
long cracks, leaving large pieces of glass looking like continents
on a sea-less map.

He had also felt like that. He thought this was the truest
reflection yet. There were four of him, or were there five?
One had two eyes, one had three. One cut off his chin,
one enlarged his mouth. He never liked his reflection,
and now liked it less.

He never replaced the mirror. He had the money, but
maybe not the time. And he did not cry over the broken image
he saw now, each morning. But, for the next 3,000 days found
new things about his face. And picked one to show the world each day.

Hid Away from the Enthusiasm

(image at http://brianzahnd.com/category/jesus/)

Hid Away from the Enthusiasm

(“Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6:15)

I.

Hand me the power, wrap it in brown newsprint,
if no one will be king, it might as well be me.
Find me the rulebook, set it on my desk,
if no one will read it, I will edit it for free.
Buy me a new suit, tailor it perfectly,
then I will wear it fiercely, a lion, a tiger,
an animal louder that hunts alone.
Bring me an arsenal, prepare me for bloodshed,
the first sword I brandish will not tarnish before
used by some opposite instead.
Lay out my best words, digital or scribed,
poached and borrowed, paint them broadly
on highway signs; be sure each traveler subscribes
to my etched denouements.

Map the best lake possible, preferably white and
windswept, and I will cross it, if I must, barefoot.

Next (what is the quantity and the order so far?)
be sure to bag it all slowly, in the express lane.
Let my name be clearly seen on my credit,
my license to drive, social security and
preacher’s club card. Run these errands
in the heat of the day, pass out the gospel
exactly as I’ve dictated. Find a way to
miraculously lock the door from behind and
let my name and my plans stand above each
revolving door. We will schedule the rally once
the funds are raised.

If no one will be king, it might as well be me.

II.

It was in this narrow valley, Jesus, between two miracles
(multiplied meals and a walk upon the waves)
they wanted a king, but You

Found the undisclosed cave near the mountain’s peak,
and waited
until the crowd’s crush had passed.

Hungry?

Hungry?

“’What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?’ they asked. ‘What are You going to perform?’” John 6:30

If there was ever a time for Jesus to become frustrated in His earthly ministry, this was it! Consider this: between chapters two and six of the gospel of John, Jesus has performed five miraculous signs. He had turned water into wine, healed the son of a royal official, healed a man who had been lame for 38 years, fed 5,000 people with only five barley loaves and two fish, and had walked on the water, stilling the storm and calming the disciples, three miles from land.

Because You Say So

“When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.” Luke 5:6

Having no portable PA system, Jesus borrowed, unannounced, one of two fishing boats onshore. The fishermen were finished for the day, washing their nets from the debris of the day and laying them out for the next. The crowd was growing larger and it was difficult to be heard. So, boarding the small craft, Jesus put out for shore just a bit. Both the water and the rising terrain in front of Him, made for a perfect outdoor arena, acoustics akin to the Hollywood Bowl.

Multiplication: It's What God Does

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.” John 6:11

I have seen the same miracle replicated over and over nearly every day. Oh, it may not be 5,000 people fed with a single fish sandwich, but God’s world is full of turning the tiny into the tremendous. Six years ago a friend bought eight fruit trees for us to plant on our property. Last year we got our first crop of apricots, and this year the plums burst out from their blossoms.

Interested in the Impossible

Interested in the Impossible

(“Jesus answered, ‘What is humanly impossible is possible for God.’” Luke 18:27)

I want to dive in, encourage every single reader, and tell you, “Everything is possible with God. You are going to be ok. You will get that job. Your husband won’t lose his. Your wife will have that child you are waiting for. You will pass geometry.” (Well, ok, maybe not so much the last one.)

Picnic Impossible

“So He suggested to the crowd that they sit down on the ground, and, taking the seven loaves, He gave the blessing, broke them, presented them to His disciples to distribute, and they handed them around to the people.” Mark 8:6

I love shows like “Restaurant Impossible.” You know the drill; a promising restaurant is now failing. The management or owners think they have the best food in town, but behind the scenes we see a kitchen infested with roaches and a cooler with rat droppings. The wait staff is snobby to customers and the décor looks like a 1970s dorm room. Along comes the master chef and with just a few days, a limited budget and a bullwhip of an attitude, transforms the dingy dive into a 5-star eatery.

The Last Laugh

Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Now everyone will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:5,6a

Our daughter Sarah was unexpected. We have two sons about three and a half years apart. We were happy with our two boys and had decided we were finished having children. So, with Michael starting his teens and Jonathan just turning 10 we had no thoughts about more children.

I Won't Blame

I Won’t Blame

(“Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked.” Acts 2:43)

I know You are great,
and sometimes miracles wait,
and I’m often late in showing up for prayer.

I won’t blame it on my aches, though I’m sure they make
me a stride slower in finding my way.

I will find the way, today, newest of the year,
to be amazed at what You have done and not
rerun every cry I felt has split the sky without
a return reply.

Blinded eyes healed in front of my eyes,
sick and near death alive and lively surprised,
another job when there were none to be found,
a house, provision, safety without revision,
and rescue when the blizzard tried to impound
me along the icy snow banks.

But I must say, I cannot forget, how lonesome I feel
in spite of the facts and wonders; I feel my soul has been
plundered and my imagination
slowed like molasses. Times are tight, God, and You have
met our needs. I am without complaint.

Except for this uncertain and sad day which has no
hearth on which to place its head. I love You, and love You still,

But I ask for one more, one more miracle to
fill me whole, distill my sadness and reduce me
to love once again.