Last week I took the opportunity to do a mini photo session of my four girls… They are maturing and changing at a rapid speed without any regard for my ability or inability to soak up the moments and commit them to memory. These daughters of mine are each so unique, with subtle graces, expressions, quirks, and individual charms. But there is one thing they hold in common with each other and their mother. Presenting in slightly varied forms, their hair is undoubtedly the result of shared genetics. And I will never tire of trying to capture the beauty that it affords these girls of mine.
Today was dreary. Rain clouds loomed and my to-do list was extra long. Even though I know that these kind of external things should not have an effect on my mood, I found myself discouraged and somewhat stressed. The negative aspects of a day can push out the beauty, and stress can distort the good.
As a junior in high school I discovered the thrill of photography. My dad let me use his heavy metal Nikon from the 60s and I experimented with capturing on film what I found to be beautiful and captivating. I’ve personally discovered that the lens of a camera can transform what you see. When you place the viewfinder up to your eye and peer through, the rest of the world disappears. What’s to the right, to the left or behind you is not visible. You are forced to focus on beauty.
Over the years I learned to use my camera as a tool to see what is already there. When my kiddos were tiny and I was weighed down by their whining, needs, and my own exhaustion I would grab my camera and plop them down where the light streamed in through a window and begin snapping. Most of the pictures were not impressive from a technical standpoint, but they revealed to me the stunning beauty of the life I had been gifted with.
Back to today. I walked into my bedroom to see my unmade bed, dusty furniture and laundry on the floor. But then I noticed the stack of pillows with just a tiny bit of light from the overcast sky creeping in through the window. I grabbed my camera (straightened the stack a bit), looked through the lens and snapped the picture. It was tiny thing… only took a minute… but my spirit was lifted and I smiled as I put my camera back on the shelf.
There’s a similar privilege offered to those who know Christ as their Savior. Scripture confirms what we already know about life. It’s not easy. Stress and discouragement creep in constantly. But when we fix our eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, the rest of this world seems to almost disappear. We are able to see what’s in front of us through the lens of the goodness of God and the hope of the Gospel. Not only can we see His gifts, but we can see His grace. Through the lens of Christ, my failures aren’t final…my weaknesses can testify to His strength…broken people and circumstances can be redeemed…light can push through darkness.
You may not be a photographer. You may not be someone who relishes aesthetic things like I do. But regardless, there’s still so much light and beauty to be seen! Slow down, open your eyes, and ask the Creator of all that exists to help you see His goodness and His endless grace. It’s always there.
Our family has spent many days playing dress-up over the years. There have been plenty of princesses, pioneers, super heroes, orphans, and even spies. But in the past couple years the amount of items in the dress-up tubby has significantly decreased. They’ve either become too small or not of interest any longer. But in the Jordan household we still play dress-up. Whether it’s for making movies, pretending to be a mountain climber in the backyard, or posing for photoshoots… we still need an array of interesting outfits! The latter was the case this past week. We dug through back closets in an attempt to find clothes to represent as many different eras as we could. The endeavor resulted in many laughs and more photos than I could possibly share. But here are a few of our favorites. Hope you enjoy looking at these photos as much as we enjoyed creating them!
