Mirror, mirror on the wall...

When I visited our church kids (including my two) at camp last week, my quick check-the-hair glance in the bathroom mirror was denied - all of the mirrors on the campsite had been covered with butcher paper. Written on the paper were encouraging messages -- "I like your face." and "You're beautiful just the way you are." and "God loves you." My daughter explained later that the campers, boys and girls alike, were encouraged to forego makeup and hair products for the day, concentrating on inner beauty instead.

As a mother, I was grateful. Our society's obsession with outward appearance takes its toll - on tween girls who want to be unique but still fit in, teenage boys whose bodies are changing at an uncomfortable pace, on the college-age counselors hoping to catch someone's eye, on a middle aged mom who compares herself to seemingly flawless celebrities of the same age (who me?), on older adults who hesitate to come to worship when a new or aching joint necessitates a cane or walker. Our comparisons often lead to either negative self-talk or unkind judgments about others ... or both.

The kids all looked beautiful to me -- and I was freed from at least one disgruntled swipe at my own uncooperative hair and wrinkles. Believing we are beautiful, loved, valued, awesome -- what would we do with the extra time on our hands?