As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects one person to another. Proverbs 27:19

In the ancient world, the motivation center of one’s life was believed to be the heart. The heart was that which made everything else work! It is a beautiful image, when we think of our modern notion of love being within the heart. Imagine if every action, reaction and choice was rooted in the unconditional love that has been given us?

About 18 months ago, I was staring in the mirror and my beard that had become a bit much. I had neglected to trim it for some time and I realized it was time to take the trimmers to it. After trimming it back, a thought suddenly emerged—I haven’t seen my whole face for about 10 years. What do I look like without facial hair?

I shaved it off and hid my face so I could surprise my family. My wife saw it first and asked, “What did you do?!” Then one of the kids burst into tears and said, “I don’t like you like this! Grow it back!” They had never seen me without facial hair.

Yet what was so interesting was the surprises that came—I kept seeing myself in the mirror and having to do a double take because I wasn’t me, although I was me. The first night, I kept awakening for my skin hadn’t felt wind on it and it tickled the nerves. Then I began to wonder, if I peeled back the walls of defense that guard my heart, what would it discover? What would the heart look like fully exposed? Would I be able to recognize it? Would it be surprising to me, what I would find? Would I like the truth of me?

How about you? What would you discover about your own heart? Would you recognize it? Often, we recognize ourselves by seeing our reflection played back in another. Those people that rub us wrong—why? The people that annoy us—why? Maybe a part of the mirror of our lives is the reflection we see in each other.