I have the absolute joy and pleasure of being a camp counselor this summer, and I've forgotten what I look like. There are few mirrors around camp, and the ones that do exist are barely looked into as we run from the bathroom so our co-counselors have time to take a shower.

It's a weird thing to forget what you look like. I didn't think it would ever be possible considering the amount of pictures I take, the amount of time it takes me to edit said pictures, the amount of time I contemplate which picture to post, and the amount of time I go back looking at said pictures to see how many people have deemed my own face worthy of a "like." The first time I tried to remember what I looked like and it took me a second, I kind of freaked out. It's a scary thing to not know what other people are seeing when you talk to them.

As the week went on, the forgetfulness of what I looked like grew stronger. When I did try to remember my own facial features, I saw those of my campers. I saw the faces of the girls who lived with me for an entire week, sought advice and wisdom from me, needed answers, and struggled with their identities -- just like I used to, and still do. I saw the faces of the girls who needed to be listened to and loved on. And as I saw the faces of these girls, I saw the face of Jesus. I saw faithfulness and renewal and provision. I saw love and grace and mercy and forgiveness. I saw approval and acceptance. I saw everything within them that I struggled so hard to make others see when they looked at me.

And when I realized this; when I realized that the faces of these girls and the face of Jesus are what I see when I try to remember what I look like, I didn't want it to ever change. I don't ever want to remember my own eye color or where the freckles on my face land or what pimples I have. I don't ever want to know if my teeth look a little yellow today or if my cheeks are too red. I don't ever want to know if my face looks bare without mascara or foundation.

All I want to see is the faces of those around me who need Jesus. All I ever want to see is the faithfulness and joy and love and provision and grace and freedom that I see in other faces who are being pursued by the Lord. All I ever want to see is the face of Jesus.

I kind of wish mirrors hadn't ever been invented. I think we would all be a little better off if we spent a lot more time looking those around us in the eyes than we look at our own faces in the mirror. I think we would all be a lot better off if we spent more time investing in those who are searching for something that they have trouble finding than we would be if our greatest concern was how perfectly our eyeliner was winged or our contour highlighted our face.

I think the whole point is to see the face of Jesus when we look at those around us to realize that they are important, that they have an eternity, and that the Lord loves them just as much as He loves us. And I think that's a tremendously great love to give and receive.

1 John 2:17: And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.