pdave.me

I’m backing out of my garage today. I am going out with my family on my day off.  There’s a reason why Anne warns me, every Friday, about the trash can.  You see, Friday is “trash day” and, one morning, she was taking Cammi to the bus stop and forgot about the trash can.

The result: Broken mirror.

For some reason, her weekly warning got me thinking…

According to mirrorhistory.com, it was the Romans who are tagged to the broken mirror as a sign of seven years bad luck. The length of the prescribed misfortune came from the ancient Roman belief that it took seven years for life to renew itself. If the persons looking into the mirror were not of good health, their image would break the mirror and the run of bad luck would continue for the period of seven years, at the end of which their life would be renewed, their body would be physically rejuvenated, and the curse would be ended.

In old times, mirrors were not cheap and they were low quality and easily damaged. In order to avoid negligence it was told that breaking a mirror bring seven years of bad luck. That was simple scare tactic to protect such a valuable investment.

Marriage, like mirrors of old, is extremely valuable.  Unlike those mirrors, marriage is not of low quality.  If it’s well taken care of, marriage is not easily damaged.

TRUTH: A broken marriage doesn’t give 7 years of bad luck. It give years of brokeness in two individuals meant to act as one. 

Questions began to form in my head…

Have we lost the care and concern of strengthening our marriage?

Do we take the covenant with our spouse for granted?

What image do we reflect to the world, specifically our children?

Props to Marriage Works (@mrgwrks) for sending out the tweet “Marriage, perhaps more than any other relationship, reveals your willingness & ability to love unconditionally.”  I thought I’d change a word  and give ya a great TRUTH.

TRUTH: It’s in marriage, perhaps more than any other relationship, REFLECTS your willingness & ability to love unconditionally.  

Your marriage gives a display of unconditional love.  It’s one of the reasons why, I believe, marriage is a phenomenal picture of God.  Even in Genesis, we see God making man in His own image.  Was the image of God so complex that man and woman, together in their oneness, reflect the image of God?  When God saw man and said, “it’s not good that man should be alone,” it was more than filling man’s loneliness.  It was competing the reflection/image.

It is in this “reflection,” the world around us SHOULD see the willingness and ability to love unconditionally.  It’s the way God loves.  In Him, we see His willingness  in while we were in our sin, He gave his only Son. In Him, we see His ability, by Christ laying down his own son for your and me.  The “reflection” to be a clear image of the same unconditional love you and I receive.

Do you need to repair the image? Have you displayed a clear reflection of having the ability and willingness to show unconditional love?

“But Dave, they don’t deserve it.”

My answer: “Neither do you.”

Who of all of us deserve it?  Yet instead of reflecting His love, we love based upon conditional elements determined by our feelings and desires.

According to snopes.com there are ways to repair the “bad luck” caused by breaking a mirror.  I thought we can use that to help us today.

1. Throw salt over your shoulder. I can’t say that will fix “conditional love” in marriage.  But salt represents a changing agent.  In ancient times, it was used to do more than flavor food.  It was a preservative and antiseptic.  Don’t wait for your spouse to step up and unconditionally love first. You be the changing agent, or the salt, of the marriage.  Step up and be the one to add flavor. Be the one to fight for the “reflection” to be preserved.

2. Immediately spin around counter-clockwise three times.  Whatever ways that haven’t been working, turn around the other way.  The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again.  If you’re having difficulty loving unconditionally, stop repeating the same actions.  Stop attempting the same things over and over. Spin around and go a different direction.  Show your spouse your creativity and willingness to try something new in order to repair the broken image.

3. Grind the mirror into fine powder.  Just as much as humility and repentance are important to our relationship with Christ, it’s just as essential in our marriage. If you have pride issues, grind that pride down.  Let your humbly reflect the unconditional love your spouse needs to see.

4.  Gather the pieces of the mirror and submerge them in water running south.  If there is brokenness from selfishness and pride, take the pieces to Christ.  Submerge them in His presence.  Let Him repair His image in your lives.  As I’m typing this blog, this song from one of my favorite bands came on:

5. Bury the broken pieces.  When I read this, I thought of forgiveness. Maybe you are a casualty of a marriage where the reflection of unconditional love has been shattered by your spouse.  My challenge is to forgive the unconditional way the Christ has forgiven you.

Your marriage WILL give a reflection of love. You don’t have that choice.  It’s your choice of what type of love it will reflect.  If you discovered a broken image, take the initiative to start the year with the right mindset. Resolve in your heart to reflect His love in you.

Thanks for letting me ramble…