Flipping through Facebook last Saturday night, I saw where a
friend of mine had “tagged” me in a picture.
There, for all the Facebook world to see, was a very unflattering, side-profile picture of me. It was such an unattractive angle. (Note to self: go "un-tag" yourself). And I really don't want to post that photo, but for the sake of emphasis, here goes:
Ugh! I was immediately
drawn to all the things about which I cringe when I see pictures of myself--my overbite, my weak lack of a chin, the gray hairs around my temple, and my
are-you-sure-this-isn’t-a-man neck and shoulders. We
are all our own worst critic, aren’t we?
And let me just say here--I really do realize that no one on Facebook is studying me very much, if at all.
But in looking at that picture and realizing how
ridiculously hard on myself I am, I also realized that if God could take a snapshot
at my heart right this second, the self-inflicted criticisms when I saw that photo would be even
worse. I mean, if a 'soul' photograph revealed
all my hidden faults---yuck! I would have to look away! The
judgmental-ism, the what-about-me attitude, the lack of sympathy for those in different places than me--the list
could sadly go on and on.
I don't think any of us would want to see what would come out that dark room.
I am so grateful that when God looks on my heart and soul He
sees me for who I CAN be, not just for who I am today. And I am so thankful that He can and has, with two nail-scarred hands, wiped clean this sinful heart of mine.
It means that no matter what angle He's holding His camera, I will always end up looking good.
"God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
You do NOT have a man neck or shoulders, but I totally understand what you're saying - we are so hard on ourselves, so critical. Like we would never be of someone else, or our children. And we are God's children, who, thank Him, sees our hearts. This is, once again, beautifully written! Thank you for sharing, and I'm personally glad to see your sweet self, no matter the angle <3
ReplyDelete