When Selfie-Mode Surprises You

When Selfie-Mode Surprises You…

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.”

Psalms 119:18

It is finally cooling down where we live so a nice morning walk in the brisk fall air seemed like a good idea. Everyone is decorating for the holidays. I love seeing the new decorations everyone else puts up.

My youngest and I walked all the way to the park. Once my son saw the big slide that was the end of contentment inside the stroller. He wanted out!

As quickly as I could, I unfastened him and let him explore. He was so adorable trotting around and acting like big stuff around the playground. 

He got up on the top of the stairs and walked over to the curvy slide. I had to capture this on video. I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket and clicked the camera icon.

Mistake.

The stupid thing was on selfie mode, so I got a good glimpse at the mom who had been tromping all over the neighborhood…and BOY, I could have been mistaken for the bride of Frankenstein.

Nothing like your phone being in selfie mode to give you a good dose of reality. I honestly thought I was presentable when I walked out the door but my camera screamed, “You’re a wreck!” I should have at least looked in the mirror at some point before exiting the house. Not only was my hair dancing in every direction possible but shadows of the long night I had streamed under my eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh. 

Then God caused a thought to enter my mind at that very moment.

How many times do I manage to go through my day without God’s reflective lens helping to point out areas where I need to untangle, wash, and clean up?

I get up and go, without first sitting before God and letting His Words speak identity into my life. I step out into the busyness of my tasks before I take a hard look at myself through God’s eyes and let Him fill me with the grace and peace I will need that day. I end up frazzled because I don’t always take the time to look at myself first.

And this mom NEEDS His mercies that are new every morning.

She needs to soak and bask in the reminder of His grace that is sufficient for her.

She needs God to renew a right spirit within her before she takes on everything that comes at her in her day. 

I flipped the camera around in just enough time to catch my son zooming down the slide backward. After laying in some dirt, falling off a swing, and tumbling in the grass we headed home. It wasn’t too late to head straight for the hairbrush and facewash before I ran the rest of my errands that day. 

God’s word is like our camera in selfie mode.

Sometimes it’s downright surprising what God reveals to us. I’ll be honest, sometimes I hear God speaking to me about areas of my life I need to work on I didn’t even realize NEEDED fixing. Sometimes I try to go about my day without Him, but fear marks my actions like the mascara marked my face. I often find myself “too busy” to sit down and dwell in His word so the undealt with insecurity issues I have dirties my “appearance” and causes the atmosphere in my home to be that of discontent and strife. 

While my littlest son may not care about my outward appearance my inward “appearance” will pour into every area of my life. So before I start my day, I cannot forget to take time and look into the mirror of God’s Word. And for the sake of being mistaken for Halloween decor, I will also try and take time to look into the mirror of my bathroom before my morning walks from now on too!

(Are you a Mom in NEED of daily encouragement? Join me right here each weekday morning for a brand new quick-read devotional before you begin your day!)

And just for kicks, here is the VERY pic my camera snapped when it unexpectedly surprised me in selfie mode. You’re Welcome!