SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

Written by:  Jenny Calvert

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

All twenty-two of us were together for Thanksgiving. It was a rare and absolutely wonderful occasion. Because we had finally made it all together for a gathering, we had to get a picture. Our youngest son, Jonathan, is a photographer taking after his great-great grandfather, an inventor of one of the first small cameras in America.  He lined us all up and set the camera to automatically snap so that he could be in the photo also. He took several pictures.  With so many people to work with, it is almost impossible to get everyone looking at the camera, with their eyes open and a smile. He finally picked the best shot, however one little prankster had his eyes crossed. Jonathan downloaded the picture to his computer and worked on it. He took pictures and smudges off the wall, added snow in the windows and uncrossed the eyes of the prankster. By time he was finished with the photo, it was great. We all loved it.

God does the same exact thing for us. He takes us and makes us beautiful though the blood of His son Jesus Christ. He washes our sins white as the snow placed in the windows of our photograph. He erases the debris from the walls of our existence. He uncrosses our vision to see straight ahead and focus on a new path, a path designed for each one of us. When He is finished with our life photo, we look great. He made us in His image and loves us so much that he can make our lives beautiful. Now that is something to make us smile.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the blood of your Son Jesus Christ who washes our sins and makes them white as snow. Your love is so boundless that we can hardly contain the thought of it all. We give you our praise.

Amen