A Reflected Image

The Image of God

O, Lord! that seest, from yon starry height,
Centred in one the future and the past,
Fashioned in thine own image, see how fast
The world obscures in me what once was bright!
Eternal Sun! the warmth which thou hast given,
To cheer life’s flowery April, fast decays;
Yet, in the hoary winter of my days,
Forever green shall be my trust in Heaven.
Celestial King! O let thy presence pass
Before my spirit, and an image fair
Shall meet that look of mercy from on high,
As the reflected image in a glass
Doth meet the look of him who seeks it there,
And owes its being to the gazer’s eye.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A new year brings time for reflection on what has been, what is, what is to come and the possibilities of what could be. I find myself without any specific resolutions, but rather a desire to be that “image fair,” a reflection of the one who is perfect in love. I am grateful that as flawed as I am, through Him, I can be changed. As one who owes her “being to the gazer’s eye,” my trust in this new year is in God, who although unchanging can bring great change and hope. Happy New Year!