Reflection

What does your life reveal about Jesus?

In this episode of Wilder Whispers, Shā reflects on the changing condition of her backyard pond and a simple truth hidden in its reflection. When the water became clouded with algae and debris, the reflection was obscured. When rain disturbed the surface, the reflection became distorted. But when the water was clear and still, the trees became visible again.

Our lives were meant to reflect Jesus—but what happens when something within us affects that reflection? Some things need cleansing. Other things need stilling. Through the work of the Holy Spirit and the restoring care of the Shepherd, God knows exactly what the water needs.

Scripture:

• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• 1 John 2:9–11
• 1 John 1:9
• Psalm 23:2–3
• Psalm 139:23–24

Listen closely:

Let Him tend the water—and let the reflection look more like Jesus.

Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.

Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to slow down, lean in, and listen.

If this episode encouraged you, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need a quiet reminder that God sees them and cares deeply.

Until next time--keep listening

This is Wilder Whispers. I'm Shā Wooden.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life. I'm Shay Wooden, and I'm so glad you're here. We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does. But so often, he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer. Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it. Not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present. So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down and listen together. Our lives were meant to reflect the glory of God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3.18 that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into his image, from glory to glory by the Spirit of God. The more we behold him, the more we become like him. And little by little, his character becomes visible through our lives. That's the beautiful purpose of transformation. When people encounter us, they should see something that points beyond us. They should see Jesus. But that raises a question I've been thinking about. How clearly are we reflecting him? Because we can love Jesus. We can belong to Jesus. And there can still be things happening within us that affect the clarity of that reflection. Recently, God used something in my own backyard to show me something about reflection that I hadn't really thought about before. We have a pond in our backyard, and one of my favorite things about it is the reflection. When the water is clear and still, the pond becomes almost like a mirror. The trees surrounding it are reflected across the surface of the water. And sometimes the reflection is so clear that you can actually see the branches and leaves moving in the breeze. But here's what I've noticed: it takes the right conditions for that reflection to be clear. Recently we went through a pretty intense heat wave here in northwest Indiana, day after day of really hot temperatures, and as the heat continued, the condition of the pond began to change. Algae appeared, pond scum collected on the surface, debris floated across the water, and little by little the reflection became harder to see. Trees were still there, they hadn't moved, they hadn't changed. But what I saw reflected in the water had changed because the water itself had changed. Then, after all that heat, we had several days of rain. And of course, while it was raining, there wasn't much of a reflection at all. The surface was constantly moving. Raindrops were hitting the water, ripples were spreading across the pond. Even if the water had been perfectly clean, it couldn't have reflected the trees clearly while the surface was being disturbed. But then the rain stopped. And the next morning I walked outside. The sun was shining, the water had settled, and I couldn't believe how clear the pond was. The algae was gone. The pond scum was gone. There was very little debris left on the surface. And the water was still. There, stretched across the pond, were the trees. Clearly reflected again. The same trees that had been there through the heap, and the same trees that had been there through the rain. They had been there all along. What had changed was the water. And now that the water was both clear and still, the reflection was beautiful. And that's when I felt the whisper. What's happening in the water changes what you see reflected in it. When the water was clouded, the reflection was harder to see. When the water was stirred up, the reflection was distorted. And when the water became clear and still again, the reflection returned. And I began to wonder, if my life is meant to reflect Jesus, what might be affecting how clearly others see him in me? The more I thought about that reflection in the pond, the more I started thinking about what a reflection actually is. A reflection a reflection only exists because there is an original. When you look into a mirror, the mirror doesn't create the image. It simply reflects the person standing in front of it. And maybe that sounds obvious, but I think there's something important there for us. We aren't the original. Jesus is. We're not trying to create some version of Jesus for the world to see. And we're not trying to make ourselves look more like him through our own effort. The Spirit is transforming us into his image. Our lives are meant to reflect him. And that's what I want my life to do. I don't want people to simply see a better version of me. I want them to see Jesus. But here's what I noticed about that pond. What I saw reflected depended on the condition of the water. And there were two very different things affecting it. There were things in the water that obscured the reflection, and there were things disturbing the water that distorted it. Let's start with what was in the water. In the pond it was algae, pond scum, and debris. They had accumulated on the surface until the reflection became harder to see. And things can accumulate in us too. Bitterness can cloud the way we reflect his grace. Unforgiveness can cloud the way we reflect his mercy. Pride can cloud the way we reflect his humility. Selfishness can cloud the way we reflect his love. Sometimes it's hypocrisy, the difference between what we say we believe and the way we actually live. Sometimes it's compromise. Sometimes it's a hardness that is slowly developed in our hearts. And just like that algae on the pond, those things can accumulate. One offense we keep holding on to, one attitude we keep excusing, one area we know God has been dealing with, but we keep pushing it aside. Little by little, the water becomes clouded. John talks about this very plainly in 1 John 2. He says that someone can claim to be in the light and still harbor hatred toward a brother or a sister. In other words, we can say the right things about Jesus while something happening in our hearts is telling a different story. And that matters. Because people aren't only hearing what we say about Jesus, they're watching what our lives say about him. How do I respond when someone hurts me? How do I treat someone who frustrates me? Do the people closest to me experience the Jesus I tell others about? Because if my life is reflecting him, I don't want something in me giving someone else an unclear picture of who he is. What accumulates in us can obscure the reflection. But I noticed something else about the pond. The water didn't have to be clouded for the reflection to be affected. The water could be perfectly clean, and if the surface was moving the reflection still wasn't clear. I noticed it while the rain was falling. Every raindrop created another ripple. The water moved it, and the image moved with it. That's when I realized there's an important distinction here. Some water needs cleansing, other water needs stilling. Because not everything that affects our reflection is something sinful that needs to be removed. Sometimes we're simply troubled, we're anxious, we're afraid, we're exhausted, we're hurried, our minds are racing, our emotions are unsettled. There are so many voices, so many demands, so many things pulling at our attention that there never seems to be a quiet place within us. And then I think about Psalm 23. David says, He leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul. I love that those two thoughts are connected. Still waters, a restored soul. And I love the picture of the shepherd here. He doesn't stand over the sheep demanding, be still. He leads them. The psalmist said he leads me beside the still waters. And there, in his presence, he restores my soul. Maybe some of us don't need another attempt to fix ourselves. We need to let the shepherd lead us. Because sometimes there's nothing clouding the water. The water is simply troubled. And a troubled soul needs restoration. The water needs to become still again. And the shepherd knows how to lead us there. And this is what I love about what happened with the pond. The water didn't clear itself. The heat revealed what was there. The rain washed away what had accumulated, and then the water settled. Heat revealed, rain washed, stillness settled, the reflection returned. And I think there's a beautiful picture in that of what God does in us. Sometimes the Holy Spirit reveals something that needs to be cleansed. And when he does, we can bring it to him. Other times the water simply needs to become still. And the shepherd knows how to restore a troubled soul. He knows what the water needs. The Spirit reveals, the Spirit cleanses, the shepherd restores. Our part is to yield to his work. And as we do, what had been obscured or distorted begins to clear. Not because we made ourselves a better reflection, but because God tended to the water. So what is the condition of the water in you? Maybe the question isn't how well am I reflecting Jesus? Maybe it's simply Holy Spirit. What is affecting the reflection? Is there something that needs to be cleansed? Is there something within that needs to be stilled? David prayed, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Maybe that's our prayer too. Holy Spirit, show me the condition of the water. Show me what needs to go. Show me what needs to become still. And help me respond to what you want to do in me. Because this isn't ultimately about the condition of the water. It's about who the water reflects. Whatever he shows you, let him tend to it. If something needs cleansing, bring it to him. If your soul needs restoring, follow the shepherd beside still waters. You're not responsible for transformation. That's the work of the Spirit. Let him reveal. Let him cleanse. Let him restore. Let him transform until more of Jesus can be seen in you. Let's pray. Father, thank you that you don't leave us to transform ourselves. You have given us your spirit, and you are continually doing your work in us. So today, we invite you to search our hearts. Holy Spirit, show us anything that is clouding the reflection. Cleanse what needs to be cleansed, and help us surrender what you reveal. And Lord, you also know when the water is simply troubled. Lead us beside still waters. Restore our souls. Quiet what has become unsettled within us. And keep transforming us from glory to glory into your image. We don't want our lives to draw attention to ourselves. We want them to point to you. Let more and more of Jesus be seen through us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. I keep thinking about that morning beside the pond. The heat had passed, the rain had stopped. The water was clear. The surface was still. And there were the trees. The same trees that had been there all along. But now I could see them clearly. A clear pond, a still surface, a reflection that looked like the original. And that's what I want my life to be. Not a life that draws attention to self, but a life that little by little, from glory to glory, looks more and more like Jesus. And today's whisper to carry with you is this let him tend the water and let the reflection look more like Jesus. Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers. I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life. Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to lean in. As you go about your day, whether you're working, resting, driving, or just trying to catch your breath, stay attentive. God is not far away. He's not silent. He's near and he's speaking. Until next time, keep listening. This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Jay Wood.