The STORY Behind the Name
One night I sat down at the table by the back door while letting our dog out in the middle of the night. Through the window I could see the moon; it was full and SO bright. It dawned on me, the light shining from the moon was not truly coming from the moon at all. It was coming from—and belonged to—the sun.
The thought stuck with me. When I investigated further I read, "Most of the time, the full moon isn't perfectly full. We always see the same side of the moon, but part of it is in the shadows. Only when the moon, Earth, and sun are perfectly aligned is the moon 100% full, and that alignment produces a lunar eclipse." What about a partial moon I wondered, then found, "We only see half of the moon being lit in that position because the other half of the moon we see is shadowed by the moon itself." The part of the moon not reflecting the sun is worthless, we can't see it and it doesn't provide any light…because of itself.
When we've walked with Jesus long enough we start to see things like these as metaphor in our spiritual lives. "Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'" (John 8:12) How often am I like the moon…rotating out of alignment with Jesus, or living with part of my soul in the shadows of darkness because of self. The light shining from us was never intended to be ours to begin with; it comes from—and belongs to—God's son. Only when I am in full alignment with God will Jesus's light be full in me. "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less," (John 3:30) in order for Him to light up the shadow I create out of myself.
The concept of reflection settled in me. We can be a reflection of a lot of things…our family, career, leadership, success, and failure…and more abstract things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (sound familiar?), or maybe anger, bitterness, envy, and selfishness…it's an endless list.
But how often do I {reflect the Son}?
After listening to others over the years, I found the stories held closest to our hearts are most often a reflection of love. God is not just the light, but He is also love.
Could it be as we seek to be aligned with God, the reflection of God’s one and only son off of us becomes an automatic reflection of other good things, too? "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
The concept of "one" is also a running theme in my more recent life. I heard it once in relation to a good quote, "Success does not spontaneously combust. It is a quiet process of doing the next one small thing. And then the next one small thing. And then the next. You must master consistency." I wish I knew who said it! One is small but mighty! But it’s so much more than about how to be successful. One choice or action could have the potential to change the trajectory of your life. And simplifying down to your main "one" things can change the reflection of your life.
Many metals are reflective by nature, becoming a natural canvas to reflect a memory, story, or feeling. The name "The One Reflection" is a good fit for my business. My goal is not push my personal beliefs and values on anyone, but hope others find a reflection of light, love, and inspiration. The name serves as a reminder to ask myself the question often…what is the one thing I'm reflecting right now?