Album of Life

Getting the sun, my camera, and my son’s smile to cooperate while taking his senior pictures was not a task for the faint of heart!

Earlier in the summer, temporary insanity had set in, and I decided I could take the photos instead of hiring a professional. After all, I had a nice camera and rudimentary knowledge of photography. How hard could it be? Famous last words!

This was day two of Senior Pictures 101, and I was beginning to question the wisdom of that decision.

Although the early fall day proved to be perfect, with yellow, red, orange, and green leaves reflecting clearly off the still lake, my photos lacked the same perfection.

I took more than one hundred photos that day alone and none of them met with my approval. Sometimes they were grainy, sometimes dappled with sunlight, sometimes too dark, and sometimes washed out. Still other times when the photo quality wasn’t too bad, Daniel had his fake “do-I-have-to-smile” smile or no smile at all.

Finally, after examining all of the shots on my computer, we found perhaps eight that could go in the “possibility” file.

Not up to my standards but better than the others—acceptable.

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I am thankful that God doesn’t set such high standards for me to be acceptable in His sight! His love for me doesn’t depend on how washed out I appear or whether I put on a fake smile for the day.

He loves and accepts me despite my many flaws.

And although my imperfection covers me in filth, the Blood of the Lamb washes me clean.

I become holy and blameless in the Lord’s sight, worthy because of the shed blood of Christ Jesus on the cross.

Praise God that I do not have to work hard enough, act “Christian” enough, attend the “correct” church, or pray the right words!

Jesus Christ did all the work for me. By dying on the cross for my sins, He made me picture perfect in His Father’s eyes. He secured a place for me to dwell with Him eternally even with my many imperfections! He placed my life portrait in the “Album of Life,” graininess and all!

(Now back to getting those perfect senior pictures …)

“But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him” (Colossians 1:22).

Have you ever felt like you didn’t measure up—that you weren’t “good” enough to get to heaven? Give up on making it on your own strength, and look to Christ Jesus for His saving grace!

I’d love to encourage and pray for you in your faith walk! Simply submit a comment to this post or send an email directly to me.

By His grace ≈

Julie