A Face In the Mirror

Time passed, and I would like to say that my marriage improved - but it did not. I left my husband, returning to him a few weeks later to flowers and promises. Unfortunately, the promises lasted just a little longer than the flowers.

I remember one particular night - a night of fighting that ended only when I locked myself in the bathroom. I was hurting, so using the toilet as an altar, I kneeled on the ceramic tile and cried out to God. I started with a list of my pain, then a list of my anger and finally a list of petitions.

I prayed that God would save my husband and change him. I prayed that God would protect me and my daughter, and I prayed that we would all be happy again. I felt his Spirit shiver up and down my spine dispelling the heaviness and hopelessness I had felt when I first kneeled before the toilet. I transitioned from distress to calmness and then to peace. Rising from my prayer, I washed the tracks of mascara from my face. While looking at myself in the mirror, I remembered a lady from our church giving her testimony.

This woman explained to our little congregation that she was looking for another job. She had two interviews lined up, and she was concerned that she would not chose wisely. She wanted to make sure that she chose the job that pleased God, so, she asked God to give her a sign.

On one of the interviews, she arrived a little late. Running toward the elevator, she noticed the doors were starting to close, so she called out. As she kept running, the elevator doors opened again and breathless, she entered the elevator. She thanked the other passenger, a woman, for holding the elevator for her and they started their ascent.

Then the other passenger spoke, "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are you a Christian?"

"Why yes! How did you know?"

"I could tell by your face." She had her sign from God.

I remember wondering while this woman recounted the story to our congregation whether anyone could read that same 'shining' on my face. Now standing in my bathroom and looking into the mirror, I said aloud to God, "I wonder whether anyone can tell that I have just been in your presence?" I then shut off the bathroom light and opened the door.

My husband was sitting on the couch watching television. I could tell by the arms folded across his chest that although he had calmed down, he was still angry. Gingerly, I sat at the other end of the couch and watched television.

Then he glanced at me. He glanced at me again and again. Finally, I asked him, "What's the matter?"

"Did you do something to your face?"

"Yes, I washed off all my make up."

"You have no make up on? Did you do anything else?"

"No. Why?"

"You look different."

"Different, how?"

"Like shining."

When he used that word, I remembered my question to God at the mirror and I smiled. God can be seen on your face.

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God." Exodus 34:29RSV