"Picture Night"

Every year at the beach we have "picture night".
The night we actually put on make up and fix our hair.
This usually takes place towards the end of the week..usually on Thursday night.
We wait long enough to have gotten a tan with still a couple of days left...just in case.
We've been going for 11 years now and we've done every color combo imaginable...
Khaki and black..khaki and white..blue jeans and white..tourquois and khaki..you get the idea.

This year we went "vintage".
We were all so excited about picture night this year.
Too excited.

My husband likes to share a verse of scripture often in our home that has a principle that resonates with truth...   

 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick".  Proverbs 13:12

Yep. 

Well.. I've had these pictures edited for some time but just haven't had the heart to share them.

You see, this year was a disaster. A failure on epic proportions. 

No, no one had a bad hair day or ripped their shirt or spilled something on it.
And it didn't rain.

In fact, everyone looked beautiful and the clothes were perfect and the sky was clear.

No..this year's "Picture Night" failure had nothing to do with an imperfect outfit or bad weather.

It had EVERYTHING to do with imperfect people and bad attitudes.

I'm not even sure how it started or what even happened,

But before we knew it, tears were flowing and words were flying.
And all this was from us "big girls"...not the littles.

This may shock those of y'all that know us... (lol)

But we are real.  We are flawed. We make mistakes.

Just this week I received a phone call out of the blue from a very good friend of mine with whom I kinda lost contact with.

Our families used to do so much together and our friendship was a blessing.

Time passed, miscommunication grew, bitterness festered and our friendship slowly became a memory. We talked about many things during this phone call and God in His graciousness restored our relationship. 

But she said something that has stuck with me...

She said she would look at all our pictures and think how great things were for us and how PERFECT our life looked.

Wow. That kinda took me back for a minute.  You see, I too have done that. I have looked at families and their pictures and thought how great their life is... It's so easy to think their life seems "perfect". 

Now, I recognize the Lord's blessings in my life...and there are many.  And I am thankful.

But our life is far from perfect.

We have dealt with many disappointments and trials and pain over the years.

I just don't post pictures of those times.

I think this is one of the reasons the Lord has led me to blog... 

I'm able to tell "the rest of the story"...

Our family and life has always been available to the people the Lord sends our way but I've also never been one to share "my business".  It's kinda a way to protect myself and my family. 

So, armed with discernment, the Lord is pushing me out of my comfort zone...

Having me share my struggles so that I can perhaps help someone who is struggling too.

Per-fect (adj., n. pur-fikt; v.per-fekt)

: entirely without any flaw, defects, or shortcomings

I pray no one ever looks at my pictures and thinks my life is perfect.  

I am so flawed and my thinking is often defected and my goodness...do I have me some shortcomings.

But I do serve a perfect God.  He has changed me and given me everything I need to overcome and persevere.   He has given me joy so that even in the midst of the pain, I can trust Him and have hope.

I  pray that you do see HIM in my life....it really is because of His grace that I am what I am and you see what you see.  

Those aren't just words. 

That is real.  

Which leads us back to our "Picture Night".

In spite of the meltdown and the tears that followed, we did manage to get a few good ones.

I pray you see a family in love with each other and in love with Jesus because we are.

I doubt anyone on the beach that night would have thought that though...

And for that I am ashamed but I'm also forgiven.

And thankful for a perfect God who loves me and my crazy family even on nights like

"Picture Night".....

Nick and all his girls.