Scripture Reflections

I am barely below giddy about my blog name and accompanying verse. Allow me to re-quote it here, "Now we see but a poor 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." which comes from 1 Corinthians 13:12, as you can see at the top of the page. I'm coming to adore this scripture, which I discovered today (though I've read it before, just without such notice), so I'm going to break it down and tell you why.
First off, I did check the context to make sure that it's legit. If you'd like a look as well, just follow this link (NIV).

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;"
Recognizing that it's a bit cloudy, so to speak, here on Earth, is not rocket science. It can be hard, and we have our doubts, "Is God really there?", "Can He really hear me?", "If He can, does He even care?", "Will He come through for me?" or something similar. We can't always see, or realize, what's really going on and how God's plan is working out in the midst of a situation. This part of the verse relates to where we're at in a fallen world.

"then we shall see face to face."
Whoa. Eventually, we're going to be face to face with God, either when we die, or when Jesus comes back. Everything's going to pan out; every little detail, wrinkle, huge, awful wreckage, beautiful healing, simple joy, every tear, all of it. We'll know why this and why that. Our entire life's work will be before our eyes. This part reminds us that there's something to look forward to: looking into Jesus face as He tells us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I believe it also means everything that happened will be right smack in front of our faces. It's right there, just like a TV show or movie in 3D, and all the little puzzle pieces will fit together.

"Now I know in part;"
 Again, we can only see so much here on good ol' planet Earth. We're bonded with time, and must take our lives day by day, and moment by moment. There's no other way for us. Even when God reveals bits and pieces to us, or even large chunks, it still isn't the whole picture. That's how He created this place to be. Again, it identifies where we're at.

"then I shall know fully,"
 At the end of our time block on Earth, we go either to Heaven or Hell. God knows each and every heart, and how we lived. This part is a reminder that there IS an ultimate blueprint. Satan can throw all kinds of crap at us, and we'll get frustrated with our trials and errors. But, if we look to God, He'll pick us up and carry us out of the "Pit of Despair", if you'll pardon the Princess Bride reference, and bring us back to life. You can get darned "mostly dead", but there's that "partly alive" bit to hang onto. There is always a way, whether you're walking in the sunshine or dark, stormy, figurative weather. At the end, we'll see it all fit together.

"even as I am fully known."
I absolutely love this ending to the verse. I am fully known. Even when I don't know who I am, there's Someone who does. Even when I don't like who I've become, He wants to woo my heart back to Himself. Why? Because He crafted me, specially made, to be beautiful and to serve a very specific purpose. My heart, the very core of my being, is exciting to Him. He knows it well, as He designed it for a purpose. He wants me to be open to Him, because He knows that there's some darn good stuff in there.
I want to expand on this point, from a different angle. Even when I feel alone, like no one in the world really knows me or cares, He does. I am fully known. Even when someone mistakes my good intentions for something bad or hurtful, He knows exactly where I came from. And He's proud of me.