The Photograph

I was searching through a large box of old photos for a picture of me when I was little. God had written some words on my heart and I needed the photo to go with the words.

I could see the image in my mind - I knew exactly what I was looking for - I sifted through each photograph large and small (pausing and reminiscing) but it wasn't until I got to the bottom of that box that I finally found it.

And it didn't look anything like the image  etched in my mind.

The image in my mind was clear but the photo was blurred. In my mind it was so bright and colorful but in my hand it was faded. In my mind the picture was large and whole but in reality it was small and torn.

I can't help but think of the similarities to how we sometimes "see" our past.

Sometimes the images in our mind are vivid and sometimes they're faded, barely recognizable. Sometimes we see the "whole picture" and sometimes it's torn and fragmented. Sometimes it's so clear but over time becomes blurred at best.

Sometimes what we're searching for is not what we had envisioned at all.

And sometimes that's a good thing.

Sometimes I think that's God's grace - His mercy poured out for us.

Sometimes we have to let go of those images in our minds and the things we're holding onto so we can receive what HE had in mind for us all along.

Past, present and future - we can trust Him with the whole picture.