The man in the glass

[vahn]

At first I was thinking of "Truth coming back to haunt you" as a title but ...
I didn't ok ? shoot me .

Twenty years or so ago , in yet another "attempt" of recovery , without realizing I was just talking the talk and playing the game under the ever watchful hawk eyes of my then-to-be-now-late sponsor in the halls of AA . One day he walked right up to me (I guess he had gotten tired of masquerade) and said "Kid ? When're you gona come to your senses ? " And handed me this note and said "Not here , not now , when you get home before going to bed read this "
The words just went right to the bone and I promptly commenced to getting drunk for I could not face the truth in them , but however , the ever defiant person in me in one of my drunken stupors decided to etch the darned thing on a mirror and take it to the meeting hall and "donate" it to the group , never to return to it again ... until that is today in an attempt to make amends to the group in memory of Jake , for I had continuously and adamantly refused speaking engagements for that group (holding a grudge) . Not even two minutes in the hall , still getting my tea , tap on the shoulder and "vahn , it'll be an honor to hear you speak for us today" , "Uhh ... yea .. but .. who's your chairperson.. ? " ...Ten minutes later I'm at the podium (there went my get there late no one would notice idea) . Looking up , straight across the hall on the opposite wall I saw my mirror , still hanging there after 20+ years and what I thought was a sloppy job I had done , for there was some sort of a haze around the lettering , and my heart sank to the point I had to ask the group for a full two minutes of silence in memory of Jake before I started (buying time to regroup ok ?)

When you get what you want in your struggles for life
and the world makes you a king for a day ,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say .

For it isn't your father , mother or wife
Who's judgement upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass .

Some people may say you're a straight-shooting chum
and call you a wonderful guy ,
But the man in the galass says you're only a bum
if you cant look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please never mind all the rest
for he's to be with you clear to the end ,
and you've past your most dangerous ,difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend .

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life
and get pats on your back as you pass ,
But your final reward will be heartaches , tears and strife
If you've cheated the man in the glass .

Afterwards I walked up to the group secretary and asked if I could take the mirror home with me to repair the haze and clean it up , he said "What haze ? "
I walked up closer , someone had etched Jesus's face around the lettering positioning the eyes right in the center of it where they'll look you straight in the eye as you read them . At the bottom right corner it said "For vahn , may he find his way back " signed Jake !

[Dora]

So Cool!

[lizzie]

"For vahn , may he find his way back "

Its easy to get lost sometimes... lots of distractions and pitfalls along the way. But God is always waiting with outstreched hands to gently guide us back to the Path that He set out for us. And even if we are fumbling along in the dark, if we just reach out blindly... even if we cant see His Hand, if we just reach out in faith... He will grab hold of us and bring us back.

GBU brother