Having lived in the astoundingly scenic Pacific Northwest for ten years, I’ve hiked breath-taking trails, filled my lungs the cleanest of air and been spoiled by lusciously beautiful surroundings.

I remember when as newlyweds we rented a dinky paddle boat and picnicked in the middle of Oregon’s Mirror Lake. With the snow-capped Mount Hood and evergreens as our audience, we dug into homemade PB&J sandwiches and corn-on-the-cob (the entirety of my cooking repertoire at the time)

True to its name, the lake had a mirror-like surface, reflecting the impressive mountain that hunkered behind it.

This postcard-like picture popped into mind while praying about my ‘focus word’ for the new year. No, I don’t believe it was a “sign” that we’re meant to move back to Oregon. It was a word far less specific – but beautiful in the way it connected with my life at the moment. The word that was impressed on my heart? Reflect – just like a body of water that captures and displays the beauty around it.

How is a lake capable of creating such a perfect duplicate image of the surrounding scenery? I looked it up. It involves Middle School lessons on angles of incidence and such like (Okay, I’ll admit: the “such like” is a cover-up for being an ignoramus. Seventh-grade Physics was never my thing). But I also came across this interesting fact: the more still the surface, the sharper the refection.

That’s what I want this year. To be still enough to reflect God.

But, wait. Being still involves stopping long enough to think, to ponder, to .. you know it.. reflect.  

Turns out, my word for 2020 isn’t a word at all. It’s really a phrase: Reflect to Reflect.

I know, I know –  it sounds like a tagline of some archaic Catholic high school. But I pray that my year ahead hinges on this principle: reflecting on Him so that I reflect Him.

I want to take a good chunk of time to reflect on what He says to me through the Word, reflect on Who He is, reflect on the day gone by and reflect on my heart attitude.

By default, I’m someone who is always in a hurry, hustling to get the job done, chasing deadlines and the clock. In our world, reflecting on anything seems like a waste of time, an atrocity of sorts. Reflection has been cast as being at odds with productivity and usefulness. And who doesn’t want to be considered productive or useful?

But reflection has undeservedly received a bad rap. Stopping to reflect unlocks treasures. Reflection gives us more opportunities to repent, receive, rejoice and, ultimately, reflect God to others and reflect all glory back to Him.

I want to reflect Him like the Mirror Lake effortlessly and beautifully displays Mount Hood. That’s my prayer for 2020.

Do you have a word that you’re holding on to for the coming year? Or, like me, a phrase? I would love to hear it and encourage you in your journey.

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Romans 8: 29

 

 

Pic credit: Flickr, Anne’s Travels 2011