I recently got a new pair of glasses. I’d been straining a bit to see the bottom of my computer screen, so I thought it might be time for a prescription update. As happens to many people, when I reached forty, reading glasses became a necessity. I’d always been able to see distances, but lately that vision is fading as well.

When I put on the new glasses, the entire world came into a clearer focus. I checked out my reflection in the mirror, and instantly regretted it. The glasses, while nice-looking, allowed me to see my physical imperfections more clearly. I’m not one to be overly concerned about my appearance. I don’t dye my hair, and I don’t wear makeup. But I had a mental perception of myself that didn’t match what I could now see. The gray hair stands out more, the wrinkles are a bit more noticeable, and my face is thinner than it used to be. Yes, I realize I’m not a young woman anymore, but it was interesting to discover my perception of my face was stuck in the past.

I first heard of this phenomenon when I was working as a medical writer. I was writing content for a patient brochure. The drug was for a condition that had an average age of onset for people in their late sixties. The designer of the brochure (I only wrote the words) selected photos of patients in their fifties. When I asked about this, she told me people perceive themselves to be ten years younger than they are, so the patients would relate more to the photos in this age group. I’d never heard that before, but that means it’s not just me. As we get older, many of us picture ourselves as younger than we actually are.

I asked my husband what he thought about my new glasses, and he had little to say. In my opinion, they’re different from my old pair, but when I switched from one to the other, my husband couldn’t distinguish the new ones from the glasses I’d been wearing for the last two years. On top of that, the next day at work, no one noticed I was wearing new glasses.

So what did that tell me? First of all, no one is really paying attention to what my face looks like. If no one is noticing my new glasses, then they’re not noticing my hair going gray or the wrinkles appearing around my eyes. All that matters is who I am on the inside. So while my first instinct when I looked in the mirror was that I need to start wearing makeup, maybe that’s not the moral of the story. Maybe it’s about accepting who I am at the age that I am. God created me this way. We’re not supposed to look like we’re in our twenties forever, and that’s OK.

The second thing that struck me was the fact that my imperfections didn’t show up because I have new glasses. They were there all along. Just because I didn’t see them clearly didn’t mean they weren’t there. We only see in part, regardless of the strength of our glasses. It’s like it says in the Bible:

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

This passage tells us we can’t fully understand God until we get to heaven. Today, mirrors are accurate reflections, but in the time Paul wrote this, mirrors were polished metal. The image was unclear and usually a bit distorted. They didn’t provide a clear picture. We only see Jesus in a dim, unclear way today, but when we’re in heaven we’ll see Him clearly. We’ll know Him fully, just as He knows us.

What an amazing promise! But perhaps even more amazing, is that God sees us with all our imperfections and loves us anyway. It’s not the physical imperfections that matter. God sees our hearts. He knows every uncharitable thought, every selfish desire, every temptation. And He still loves us enough to send His Son to die in our place. The greatest desire we have is to be known and loved. What is more precious than someone who knows us well and loves us? That’s what the love of God looks like. No matter what sins we’ve committed in the past, are in the midst of, or will commit in the future, He loves us! Because of that, we’re never alone. What a wonderful promise.

So today, as I wear my new glasses, I’ll be content in knowing that even though I may see my imperfections more clearly, I also can see the street signs, the clock, and my computer screen more clearly. But most importantly, I’ll pray that I can see others more clearly. Not their imperfections, but to see them the way God sees them – as people worthy of love. And I’ll rejoice in the technology that allows me to write to you without squinting!

God, thank You so much for seeing us, knowing us, and loving us. Please help us not to be caught up in physical imperfections but focus on growing closer to You. As we do so, we will become more beautiful on the inside. In addition to a focus on You, please help us see others the way You see them. Help us to give others the benefit of the doubt, to forgive others, and to be loving and charitable towards them, especially now, in this Christmas season. Thank you for the precious gift of sending Jesus into the world. Please help us center our celebrations this week on Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.